US Copyright Office eases DMCA restrictions to allow for more device repairs

The statute prohibits the circumvention of software copy protection and has been the target of right to repair advocates for years. As one example, it adopts a recommendation from Public Knowledge and iFixit that involves video game consoles. It says "the repair of software-enabled consumer devices is likely to be fair use, the Register finds that certain video game console repair is also likely fair use." It notes consumers can access the firmware on their systems as long as it's with the intention of fixing the device's optical drive and they restore any protective measures afterward. The rulemaking stops short of protecting non-consumer devices.