What is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)?
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a federal law in the United States, enacted in 1998. It is intended to update copyright law to address intellectual property rights in the digital age. Its primary purpose is to prevent unauthorized duplication and distribution of copyrighted digital works. Under the DMCA, copyright owners are granted the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, or display their works or create derivative works. It also provides legal protection for copyright holders against copyright infringement by giving them the right to file a civil suit against anyone who violates the copyright. In addition, it establishes a legal framework for protecting digital works from piracy. The DMCA also sets out certain exemptions from copyright infringement, such as educational use and use of short excerpts in reviews. Additionally, it provides provisions for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who must comply with requests from copyright owners to remove infringing material, in accordance with the law. In Virginia, the Virginia Code § 18.2-20 states that intellectual property is protected by copyright, trademark, and patent law. However, the DMCA does not apply to this state’s laws. Virginia does not have any laws that specifically deals with the protection of digital copyright works. Overall, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is an important piece of federal legislation that provides copyright owners with increased protection, and establishes certain exemptions from copyright infringement. It also supports the efforts of ISPs in protecting digital works from piracy.
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