The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is U.S. copyright legislation that implements the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty and the 1996 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty. DMCA prevents the unauthorized duplication of digital copyrighted works by regulating digital intellectual property (IP) owners and consumers. Similar bills and legislation have been adopted internationally since DMCA was passed in 1998.
The DMCA, which includes five titles, was initially criticized for its aggressive nature. Over time, amendments have lifted certain restrictions, including legitimate research. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is a data rights management (DRM) advocacy group. DRM opposition groups, such as Chilling Effects, argue that the DMCA's loosely defined yet restrictive parameters favor copyright ownership over legitimate online research. The DMCA has also been criticized for bullying undertones.
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