Tenth Triennial Section 1201 Proceeding, 2027 Cycle
Petition and Comment Submission
The Copyright Office has initiated the tenth triennial rulemaking proceeding under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), section 1201 of Title 17. Under this provision, the Librarian of Congress, upon the recommendation of the Register of Copyrights, may adopt temporary exemptions to section 1201’s prohibition against circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyright-protected works.
The triennial rulemaking identifies classes of works for which the DMCA’s anti-circumvention provision adversely affects, or is likely to adversely affect, in the next three years, users’ ability to make noninfringing uses. The Librarian then issues a regulation exempting the classes from the prohibition for the following three-year period.
The Office uses a streamlined procedure to renew exemptions granted during the ninth triennial rulemaking. Renewed exemptions remain in force for an additional three-year period (October 2027–October 2030).
To seek renewal of a current exemption, submit a petition using the fillable Petition to Renew a Current Exemption (PDF, 191 KB) form on this page. The renewal petition is a short form that lets proponents identify themselves and the relevant exemption and to make the sworn statements the Copyright Office requires about the existence of the continuing need for and justification of the exemption. Written comments supporting or opposing a renewal petition may also be submitted.
New exemptions are needed to engage in activities not currently permitted by existing exemptions. This includes activities that would require an expansion or modification of a current exemption or any change in regulatory language. To seek a new exemption, submit a petition using the fillable Petition for New Exemption (PDF, 221 KB) form provided on this page. Petitioners need not propose precise regulatory language or fully define the contours of an exemption class at this stage; rather, a short, plain statement describing the nature of the activities the petitioners wish to engage in will be sufficient.
Petitions for renewal of current exemptions and petitions proposing new exemptions are due August 24, 2026. Written comments in response to petitions for renewal are due September 28, 2026.
For more information, please review the notice of inquiry.