Do digital locks keep you from using copyrighted works in ways that are otherwise legal? (Public Knowledge)

Do digital locks keep you from using copyrighted works in ways that are otherwise legal? If so, the Copyright Office wants to hear from you! As we’ve explained in the past, an overreaching copyright law called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) makes it illegal to bypass digital locks that are placed on copyrighted works. Digital locks like these could interfere with lots of everyday activities that don’t infringe copyright, like unlocking your iPad, fixing your car, or conducting cybersecurity research. But every three years, the Library of Congress grants exemptions to the DMCA so that individuals can break digital locks in limited circumstances. That time is right now, and the Copyright Office is asking you to chime in. If the media you use—movies, music, eBooks, video games or other software—use digital locks that keep you from making lawful uses of those works, you should write in to the Copyright Office. It was this same process that eventually led to a cell phone unlocking law this year, which was a major win for consumers. Now you have the chance to highlight other unreasonable digital locks.   Learn more here, and submit your petition to the Copyright Office by November 3rd.