NMR supports wins for filmmakers, video creators, and consumers in the 2021 DMCA Anti-Circumvention Rulemaking

Every three years the Copyright Office meets to reconsider exemptions to the DMCA Anti-Circumvention provisions. These exemptions are critical to ensuring creators and consumers’ ability to bypass technological protection measures on copyrighted works, allowing them to make fair use of works in a variety of circumstances.  Continuing our participation since 2009, NMR staff and California Western law students submitted worked on behalf of creators and consumers to maintain three key exemptions. These exemptions help ensure that documentary filmmakers and noncommercial video creators can access materials in fair use for their work, and that consumers can install the apps and software of their choice on their smartphones.On October 27, 2021 the Copyright Office revealed the results of their 2021 Anti-Circumvention Rulemaking. All three of the exemptions NMR petitioned to renew have been renewed, and we are cited 8 times in the new recommendation.

Former California Western student Carlos Gomez, who worked on the renewal petitions, had this to say:

"New Media Right’s policy work is essential to ensuring that small creators and entrepeneurs are not bogged down by overly-restrictive copyright laws. While it is imperative that the work of creators is protected, it should not come at the price of restricting innovation. In renewing these exemptions, the Copyright Office is taking a step in the right direction."

Here is the Registrar's recommendation citing New Media Rights. We want to thank former student and California Western alum Carlos Gomez for his work on this project.

We're proud to have been a part of making sure these vital exemptions were renewed.