The DMCA and International Treaties: An Exploration into the Act’s Global Implications

Summary:

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) has significant international implications, influencing global copyright norms and treaties. The Act aligns with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty and WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, extending copyright protections to the digital arena. The DMCA's anti-circumvention framework has been adopted as a benchmark for other countries to update their digital copyright laws. The United States has also included analogous copyright provisions in free trade agreements and referenced the DMCA in negotiations to update the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement.