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Simple English definitions for legal terms
WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties Implementation Act
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A quick definition of WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties Implementation Act:
The WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties Implementation Act is a law that was added to the Copyright Act in 1998. It was created to implement the WIPO Copyright Treaty that the United States had signed. The law makes it illegal to use devices or services that can bypass digital rights management systems, which are used to prevent copyright infringement. It also makes it illegal to provide false copyright information or to remove existing copyright information. There are some exceptions to these rules, and the Library of Congress can exempt certain types of copyrighted works from the law.
A more thorough explanation:
The WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties Implementation Act is a law that was added to the Copyright Act in 1998. It was created to implement the WIPO Copyright Treaty that the United States had recently signed. This law addresses the protection of copyrighted works and management systems in the digital age.
Section 1201 of the WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties Implementation Act makes it illegal to traffic in circumvention devices or provide a circumvention service. This means that it is illegal to sell or distribute tools or software that can be used to bypass digital rights management systems that protect copyrighted works. For example, it is illegal to sell a device that can remove the copy protection from a DVD or Blu-ray disc.
Section 1202 of the WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties Implementation Act makes it illegal to provide false copyright management information or to remove or alter existing copyright management information. This means that it is illegal to change the information that identifies the owner of a copyrighted work or to remove this information altogether. For example, it is illegal to remove the copyright notice from a photograph and claim it as your own.
There are some exceptions to the trafficking provisions of the WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties Implementation Act. For example, it is legal to circumvent digital rights management systems for the purpose of conducting encryption research, security testing, or reverse engineering. Additionally, the Library of Congress conducts triennial rulemaking to exempt certain classes of copyrighted works from the trafficking provisions.
Overall, the WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties Implementation Act is an important law that helps protect copyrighted works in the digital age. It ensures that copyright owners have control over their works and that users cannot easily bypass digital rights management systems to infringe on these rights.