Library of Congress - Source: cjstumpf on Wikimedia Commons
The Library of Congress will be reviewing possible classes of works that will be considered legal to circumvent DRM on. This happens once every three years. Written comments recommending exemptions are due in the Copyright Office December 2, 2008.
The last time around, exemptions were approved to unlock cell phones and bypass broken dongles, and the six exemptions will remain in effect until next October, at which point they will expire unless argued for and approved once more.
Each time the rule-making procedure happens (this will be the fourth since the DMCA was passed), some critics of the anticircumvention rules elevate their hopes (”Perhaps the Library of Congress will allow us to rip legally-purchased DVDs to our computers this time!”) only to have them come crashing down when the rules are promulgated. That’s largely because the rules are so tough.
Seriously…