The DMCA is a 1996 U.S. Legislative act that defines new procedures for dealing with copyright infringements involving digitized media, including Web content. Before the DMCA s passage, copyright holders had to go to a judge and prove that allegedly purloined content was indeed unlawfully infringed. After the DMCA, a certified letter to the alleged infringer’s Internet service provider (ISP) is all that is required to get the allegedly infringing material off the Web. The ISP is required to remove the content; if the ISP refuses, the ISP automatically becomes liable for contributory infringement. After 14 days, the person accused of copyright infringement may request that the material be reinstated, but to do so is to state, in effect, that the person is willing to risk a lawsuit over the matter. See copyright, digital rights management (DRM).
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
