Libraries are notorious for being slow on the uptake when it comes to teh internetz, but the Library of Congress has done an admirable job of staying on top of its shit. Except, of course, when it isn't allowed to by law.
A new report by THE Librarian of Congress details the obstacle course that is digital archiving of music each year, ever since (dun dun dun) DRM came on the scene. We’re all familiar with it: buy a CD, rip it to your hard drive, get a new computer, try to transfer it, and sorry bro... no dice -- even if you bought the damn thing from the label in the first place. Remember that frustrating feeling? Now, pretend you’re The Librarian, trying to preserve that same record label’s album or song that has been deemed worthy of its spot in the Library of Congress. Yeah, it burns.
The Digital Millenium Copyright Act makes it a no-no to circumvent DRM in any way, but the Librarian has that power to appeal every three years and see if the Library’s rights to bypass are granted, along with a whole other mess of exceptions requested, most of them legit. While this temporarily solves the problem, the Library of Congress still has no real power to, uh, do its job.
"Even though the Librarian is empowered to create additional exemptions, he cannot affect the ban on trafficking in circumvention devices," says The Librarian’s report. Guess they caught on to The Librarian’s black market burned CD racket... you know, since everyone’s buying CDs...
