What is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act?

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a U.S. federal law passed in 1998 that provides legal protection for digital copyright owners. It makes it illegal to circumvent or bypass copyright protection systems, such as encryption or digital rights management, and to create or distribute technologies, products, services, or components that are designed to enable piracy or copyright infringement. In New Hampshire, the law is also referred to as the “Copyright Protection Act.” Under this law, copyright owners are provided with the right to pursue legal action against those who infringe upon their intellectual property rights. The law also protects businesses from being held accountable for copyright infringement or piracy if the acts were committed by customers or employees without their knowledge. Additionally, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) contains provisions that extend copyright protection to digital works, such as websites, software, and multimedia content. The law gives copyright holders the right to invoke the aid of the federal government to protect their intellectual property from both domestic and foreign infringers. In New Hampshire, the state has not yet adopted any additional legislation that augments the federal DMCA. However, the state does consider violation of the DMCA to be a civil violation subject to some form of a remedy, and the New Hampshire Supreme Court has stated that violation of the DMCA can be punished with civil damages. As such, any New Hampshire resident should be aware of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and its associated protections.

What is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act?

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