The U.S. Copyright Office has just issued a ruling that provides new exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that set out acceptable scenarios in which the technological controls used to restrict access to copyrighted works may be skirted. The new rules include provisions that support read-aloud functionality in copyrighted works used by the blind and the capturing of video excerpts for various noncommercial applications.

One aspect of the new rules “permits the circumvention of literary works that are distributed electronically to allow blind and other persons with disabilities to obtain books through the open market and use screen readers and other assistive technologies to read them, regardless of whether an accessible copy may be available for purchase, but provided the author, publisher, or other rights owner receives remuneration, as appropriate,” the Copyright Office said.

Another class is motion pictures, for which the Copyright Office set out that certain technological restrictions may be circumvented “where circumvention is undertaken solely in order to make use of short portions of the motion pictures for the purpose of criticism or comment,” such as for documentaries and film analyses.

Dr. Dariush Adli, President of the Los Angeles based Adli Law Group, PC, whose firm is currently engaged in a high profile copyright infringement suit against actress Angelina Jolie and her studio, commented that “the new ruling will have huge consequences, for e.g., by allowing documentary filmmakers to circumvent DVD’s control over the film market.”

Dr. Dariush Adli
PRESIDENT/FOUNDER
Adli Law Group P.C