(a) Violations Regarding Circumvention of Technological
Measures.
- (1) (A) No person shall circumvent
a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under
this title. The prohibition contained in the preceding sentence shall take
effect at the end of the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of
this chapter.
(B) The prohibition contained in subparagraph (A) shall not apply to persons who
are users of a copyrighted work which is in a particular class of works, if such
persons are, or are likely to be in the succeeding 3-year period, adversely affected
by virtue of such prohibition in their ability to make noninfringing uses of that
particular class of works under this title, as determined under subparagraph (C).
(C) During the
2-year period described in subparagraph (A), and during each succeeding 3-year period,
the Librarian of Congress, upon the recommendation of the Register of Copyrights,
who shall consult with the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information
of the Department of Commerce and report and comment on his or her views in making
such recommendation, shall make the determination in a rulemaking proceeding on
the record for purposes of subparagraph (B) of whether persons who are users of
a copyrighted work are, or are likely to be in the succeeding 3-year period, adversely
affected by the prohibition under subparagraph (A) in their ability to make noninfringing
uses under this title of a particular class of copyrighted works. In conducting
such rulemaking, the Librarian shall examine -
(i) the availability for use of copyrighted works;
(ii) the availability for use of works for nonprofit archival, preservation, and
educational purposes;
(iii) the impact that the prohibition on the circumvention of technological measures
applied to copyrighted works has on criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching,
scholarship, or research;
(iv) the effect of circumvention of technological measures on the market for or
value of copyrighted works; and
(v) such other factors as the Librarian considers appropriate.
(D) The Librarian shall publish any class of copyrighted works for which the Librarian
has determined, pursuant to the rulemaking conducted under subparagraph (C), that
noninfringing uses by persons who are users of a copyrighted work are, or are likely
to be, adversely affected, and the prohibition contained in subparagraph (A) shall
not apply to such users with respect to such class of works for the ensuing 3-year
period.
(E) Neither
the exception under subparagraph (B) from the applicability of the prohibition contained
in subparagraph (A), nor any determination made in a rulemaking conducted under
subparagraph (C), may be used as a defense in any action to enforce any provision
of this title other than this paragraph