Section 1201 prohibits two types of activities. First, it prohibits circumventing technological protection measures (or TPMs) used by copyright owners to control access to their works. For example, the statute makes it unlawful to bypass a password system used to prevent unauthorized access to a streaming service. Second, it prohibits manufacturing, importing, offering to the public, providing, or otherwise trafficking in certain circumvention technologies, products, services, devices, or components.
Section 1201 establishes a triennial rulemaking process to allow for consideration of temporary exemptions to the prohibition on circumvention. In this process, the Librarian of Congress, following a public proceeding conducted by the Register of Copyrights in consultation with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the Department of Commerce, may adopt exemptions permitting circumvention for certain noninfringing uses of copyrighted works.
For more resources on section 1201, including a tutorial and the Register’s past recommendations, see our Section 1201 page .