Library Copyright Alliance Supports US Copyright Office Exemption for Libraries, Archives, and Museums Breaking Digital Locks to Create Preservation Copies - Association of Research Libraries

"Climate change, human conflict, and natural disasters present risks to human lives and health, as well as to collections of cultural heritage materials. To future-proof these valuable collections in anticipation of loss through catastrophic events, as well as through normal deterioration, libraries and archives need to circumvent digital locks on works in their collections for the purpose of preserving them.

The US Copyright Office agrees: in its recent notice of proposed rulemaking, the office announced its intention to renew an exemption allowing eligible libraries, archives, and museums to break digital locks on DVDs and Blu-ray discs in their collections when creating preservation or replacement copies of motion pictures, including television shows and videos. The office granted this exemption for the first time in 2021; the current rulemaking cycle is the first time the exemption has been up for renewal...."