Many companies and individuals generate a significant amount of material protected by copyright, including video, print, music and merchandise. Unfortunately, this material can be infringed or “reused” by others with relative ease given the ubiquity of the internet and tech-enabled counterfeiting capabilities. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) offers a means by which copyright holders can seek recourse in the event of infringement. This article will provide a roadmap for leveraging the provisions of DMCA to protect your copyrighted material, starting with a brief history on how this law came into existence.

Licensing arrangements are a major source of revenue in many industries, including entertainment, (film, TV, music), sports, corporate brands, and colleges/universities. Each year, rights holders collectively earn billions of dollars from licensing revenue.