The Library of Congress has released a report detailing that Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a blockade, preventing them from performing their archiving duties. In an increasingly digital produced world, shouldn't it be easy to make archival copies? Most would assume so, but it's not quite that simple with the current laws in the United States.
Photo: WikiMedia
The Library is only allowed to make a copy of published materials to "replace a work in their collections that is damaged, deteriorating, lost or stolen or whose format has become obsolete." What a nice regulation! They aren't allowed to make a backup until damage occurs! Whoever wrote these rules knows nothing about data protection and archiving.
Even if the Library did have permission to backup published works, they would still not be able to do so with DRM protected content, thanks to the lovely DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act). The DMCA made it illegal to circumvent any type of copy protection (DRM) in the United States. There are no exemptions for Libraries or educational institutions. With all of these restrictions in place, the Library could easily lose some irreplaceable content. If you'd like to read the full Library of Congress report, it can be found here.
