Copyright exemptions when applied properly do inspire creativity and ingenuity
Monday, November 27th, 2006Last week, the Library of Congress approved many copyright exemptions. Among the exemptions were new rules about cell phones, DVDs, and electronic books.
Cell phone owners will be allowed to unlock the software locks on their handsets in order to use them with competing carriers under new copyright rules announced last Wednesday. Other copyright exemptions approved by the Library of Congress let film professors copy snippets from DVDs for educational compilations and let blind people use special software to read copy-protected electronic books.
All told, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington approved six exemptions, the most his Copyright Office has ever granted. For the first time, the office exempted groups of users. The new rules take effect today and expire in three years.
In granting the exemption for cell phone users, the Copyright Office determined that consumers aren’t able to enjoy full legal use of their handsets because of software locks that wireless providers have been placing to control access to phones’ underlying programs.
It’s good to see the Library of Congress act in this manner. Not only will citizens benefit because of the wider fair use doctrine, but I expect the new ruling on cell phones to foster creativity and open up new opportunities for entrepreneurs.
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