Copyright Law Exemptions Denied

The librarian of Congress has rejected requests for a series of significant exemptions to a 1998 law forbidding people from circumventing the electronic locks on copyrighted works, including proposals that would have permitted the making of backup copies and other personal uses of the protected movies, games and music owned by consumers.

Instead, the ruling continues two minor exemptions relating to lists of Web sites blocked by Internet filtering software and computer programs that use obsolete anti-piracy techniques.

The librarian also granted exemptions for programs and video games locked to obsolete media or equipment and electronic books that prevent the text from being translated into audio or other special formats for the visually impaired.