James Madison University
Libraries and Educational Technologies

The Library of Congress just issued an exemption to the copyright law that directly affects media studies and film professors.

According to the decision, "media studies or film professors" may circumvent technology that prevents users from making copies (i.e. "access-control technologies") for "audiovisual works included in the educational library of a college or university’s film or media studies department" to make "compilations of portions of those works for educational use in the classroom." 

Learn more:

• "Professors and Librarians Win Narrow Exemptions to Rules in Digital Copyright Act." The Chronicle of Higher Education. November 28, 2006.
• "Exemption to Prohibition on Circumvention of Copyright Protection Systems for Access Control Technologies." Federal Register. November 27, 2006.