"One issue that is sure to remain a flash point this session will be the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which has been the focus of intense scrutiny and a number of lawsuits. Beloved by the entertainment industry, the DMCA broadly prohibits bypassing the kind of copy-protection technology used in DVDs, computer software and electronic books.
"On Tuesday, Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., and three other legislators reintroduced their bill from last year that would defang the DMCA. Their proposal, called the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act, would let Americans bypass copyright-protection schemes for legitimate 'fair use' purposes.
"'The reintroduced legislation will assure that consumers who purchase digital media can enjoy a broad range of uses of the media for their own convenience in a way which does not infringe the copyright in the work,' Boucher said..."
