What Is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act?

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The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 brought copyright protections into the 21st century. The law makes two World Intellectual Property Organization treaties law in the United States. The law is complicated and contains five separate, and lengthy, titles. Among other things, the law makes it a crime to make or distribute devices known as digital rights management devices that control access to copyrighted works. It also creates greater penalties for copyright infringements that occur on the internet. Some of those penalties can be significant. For example, a copyright that’s willfully violated for private financial gain carries a fine of up to $1 million and 10 years in prison if it is not a first time violation. The popularity of the internet worldwide makes it necessary for the international community to have a comprehensive and unified approach to protecting copyrights. Each country is responsible for implementing its own laws regarding copyright enforcement, but many governments, including the European Union, have passed laws that are similar to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.