Exemptions To Permit Circumvention of Access Controls on Copyrighted Works

Library of Congress / Copyright Office, Library of Congress

The United States Copyright Office is conducting the tenth triennial rulemaking proceeding under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"), concerning temporary exemptions to the DMCA's prohibition against circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works. Having carefully considered the petitions for new and renewal exemptions and comments received in response to the June 9, 2026 Notification of Inquiry, the Office announces the Register's intention to recommend all but one of the existing exemptions for renewal, and initiates three rounds of public comment on newly proposed exemptions. Comments submitted may not exceed twenty-five pages per class, excluding documentary evidence.