Revamping the DMCA

[Hawke]

An article at Ars Techica shows that the BSA (Business Software Alliance) in the US is calling for a revamp of the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) in the upcoming year. Specifically, the BSA is looking to reword legislation so that ISPs (Internet Service Providers) are required to disclose the names of those associated with specific IP addresses. Recent court cases have shown that, under the current wording, ISPs cannot be forced to reveal their customers' information.

By rewording the DMCA, the BSA would call for all third parties to be responsible for full disclosure.

ffective enforcement against such online piracy requires cooperation by third parties. Persons on the Internet are identified only by an Internet Protocol address. The true name of the person associated with that number is known only to the ISP used to access the Internet. Thus, rules providing for the disclosure in appropriate circumstances and with appropriate safeguards of true names of persons associated with IP numbers can promote effective enforcement. Such rules were established in section 512 of the Copyright Act, but their application to acts of infringement occurring over P2P networks is currently unclear and the subject of litigation.


Read the full text of the article here.