We've just updated our Unintended Consequences report (also available as a print-friendly PDF), which collects reported cases of the anti-circumvention provisions of the DMCA being used not against pirates, but against consumers, scientists, and legitimate competitors. In the seven years since the DMCA was enacted, this has grown into quite a list:

  1. Chilling Free Expression and Scientific Research
  • DMCA Delays Disclosure of Sony-BMG "Rootkit" Vulnerability
  • Cyber-Security Czar Notes Chill on Research
  • Professor Felten's Research Team Threatened
  • SunnComm Threatens Grad Student
  • Hewlett Packard Threatens SNOsoft
  • Blackboard Threatens Security Researchers
  • Xbox Hack Book Dropped by Publisher
  • Censorware Research Obstructed
  • Dmitry Sklyarov Arrested
  • Scientists and Programmers Withhold Research
  • Foreign Scientists Avoid U.S.
  • IEEE Wrestles with DMCA
  • 2600 Magazine Censored
  • CNET Reporter Feels Chill
  • Microsoft Threatens Slashdot
  • GameSpy Menaces Security Researcher with DMCA
  • AVSforum.com Censors TiVo Discussion
  • Mac Forum Censors iTunes Music Store Discussion
  • Fair Use Under Siege
    • Copy-protected CDs
    • Fair Use Tools Banned: DVD Back-up Software
    • Advanced e-Book Processor and e-Books
    • Time-shifting and Streaming Media
    • embed and Fonts
  • A threat to innovation and competition
    • DMCA Used to Lock Cell Phones to Carriers
    • Apple Threatens Real over Harmony
    • Tecmo Sues to Block Game Enhancements
    • Nikon's Encrypted RAW Format Blocks Adobe
    • HP's Region-Coded, Expiring Printer Cartridges
    • StorageTek Attempts to Block Independent Service Vendors
    • Lexmark Sues Over Toner Cartridges
    • Sony Sues Connectix and Bleem
    • Sony Threatens Aibo Hobbyist
    • Sony Attacks PlayStation "Mod Chips"
    • Blizzard Sues bnetd.org
    • Apple Harasses Inventive Retailer
  • DMCA Shoulders Aside Computer Intrusion Statutes
    • Disgruntled Company Sues Former Contractor For Unauthorized Network Access

    Related Issues

    File Sharing

    Related Updates

    Copyright Troll
    Deeplinks Blog by Kerry Sheehan | December 12, 2016

    The Music Industry Shouldn't Be Able To Cut Off Your Internet Access

    EFF, Public Knowledge, and the Center for Democracy and Technology Urge The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to Protect Internet Subscribers in BMG v. Cox.
    No one should have to fear losing their Internet connection because of unfounded accusations. But some rights holders want to...

    Deeplinks Blog by Elliot Harmon | July 20, 2016

    More Copyright Law ≠ Less Copyright Infringement

    If you only listened to entertainment industry lobbyists, you’d think that music and film studios are fighting a losing battle against copyright infringement over the Internet. Hollywood representatives routinely tell policymakers that the only response to the barrage of online infringement is to expand copyright or even create new copyright-adjacent...

    Deeplinks Blog by Maira Sutton, Parker Higgins | October 18, 2013

    Hollywood, Take Note: New Website Shows Movie Watchers Can't Get What They Want

    The content lobby's narrative about the Internet's impact on the creative industry has grown all too familiar. According to this tiresome story, Hollywood is doing everything it can to prevent unauthorized downloading, but people—enabled by peer-to-peer technologies, “rogue” websites, search engines, or whatever the bogeyman of the moment is—keep doing...