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A Primer on Copyright Law and the DMCA

Byron Anderson

Open publisher page 1 citations

Abstract

Presents the basics of modern copyright law and ways in which the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) changed the law. Focuses on the DMCA's prohibition of circumvention and file sharing and how this has impacted libraries. Discusses efforts to re-establish a copyright balance between creators, publishers and consumers, especially through proposed legislation and the open access movement. The impact of the DMCA on libraries is weighed, and calls for librarians to be more vigilant in opposing efforts to legalize digital rights management software.

About this research paper

What this paper is about

Presents the basics of modern copyright law and ways in which the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) changed the law. Focuses on the DMCA's prohibition of circumvention and file sharing and how this has impacted libraries. Discusses efforts to re-establish a copyright balance between creators, publishers and consumers, especially through proposed legislation and the open access movement. The impact of the DMCA on libraries is weighed, and calls for librarians to be more vigilant in opposing efforts to legalize digital rights management software.

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OpenAlex reports 1 citations for this work. Citation counts describe recorded attention and do not establish research quality.

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Available abstract

Presents the basics of modern copyright law and ways in which the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) changed the law. Focuses on the DMCA's prohibition of circumvention and file sharing and how this has impacted libraries. Discusses efforts to re-establish a copyright balance between creators, publishers and consumers, especially through proposed legislation and the open access movement. The impact of the DMCA on libraries is weighed, and calls for librarians to be more vigilant in opposing efforts to legalize digital rights management software.

Key concepts: Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Fair use, Copyright law, Legislation, Copyright Act, Intellectual property, Digital rights management, Balance (ability)

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