The Music Industry vs. the Internet and Congress

This summer nearly 200 of the biggest names in music—including Taylor Swift, Sir Paul McCartney, and Lady Gaga—penned an open letter to Congress, calling for reform of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), claiming that the law is outdated and “threatens the continued viability of songwriters and recording artists to survive from the creation of music.” The industry’s concerns are in stark contrast to the traditional criticisms of the DMCA, as free speech advocates have long complained that the act often censors too much online speech.