Welcome to the Digital Future Coalition

DMCA Timeline

The following table illustrates the major actions undertaken to pass the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The left column follows the passage of the DMCA while the right column tracks legislation that either competed with or became part of the final version of the DMCA.


July 1997

7/29/97 -- H.R. 2281 "WIPO Copyright Treaties Implementation Act" Introduced -- referred to House Committee on the Judiciary

August 1997

		8/7/97 -- H.R. 2281 referred to House Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property

	September 1997

9/16/97 -- H.R. 2281 Subcommittee Hearings held

October 1997

November 1997

December 1997 - January 1998

No official action

February 1998

March 1998

April 1998

4/1/98 -- H.R.2281 full committee mark-up, H.R. 3209 merged with H.R. 2281

4/22/98 -- H.R.2281 reported to House, referred to House Commerce and House Ways and Means committees.

May 1998

5/22/98 -- H.R. 2281 referred to the House Committee on Commerce and to the House Committee on Ways and Means

June 1998

	6/5/98 -- H.R. 2281 House Committee on Commerce, subcommittee hearings.

6/17/98 -- H.R. 2281 House subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property Mark-up held

July 1998

7/17/98 -- H.R. 2281 House Commerce Committee Mark-up -- ordered reported (amended) by the Yeas and Neas, 41-0

7/22/98 -- H.R. 2281 Reported to House (amended) by House Committee on Commerce -- H. Rept. 105-551, part II -- House Ways and Means Committee discharged -- H.R. 2281 placed on the Union Calendar

August 1998

8/4/98 -- H.R. 2281 called up in House under suspension of the rules -- passed House (amended) by voice vote

8/31/98 -- H.R. 2281 recieved in the Senate

September 1998

9/17/98 -- H.R. 2281 laid before the Senate -- substituted language of S. 2037 amended -- passed Senate by Unanimous Consent -- Senate insists on its amendment and asks for a conference -- Senators Hatch, Leahy and Thurmond named as conferees

9/23/98 -- H.R. 2281 House agrees to a conference, Speaker appoints Representatives Hyde, Coble, Goodlatte, Conyers and Berman from the House Committee on the Judiciary and Representatives Bliley, Tauzin and Dingell from the House Committee on Commerce

9/24/98 -- Conference held

October 1998

10/8/98 -- Conference report, H.Rept. 105-796, filed in House -- Senate agreed to conference report by Unanimous Consent

10/12/98 -- House Agreed to by voice vote -- cleared for White House

10/20/98 -- H.R. 2281 presented to President

10/28/98 -- H.R. 2281 signed by President -- became Public Law No: 105-304


	July 1997

	7/17/97 -- H.R. 2180 "On-Line Copyright Limitation Act" Introduced -- referred to House Committee on the Judiciary

	7/21/97 -- H.R. 2180 referred to House Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property

	August 1997

	September 1997

	9/3/97 -- S. 1146 "Digital Copyright Clarification and Technology Education Act of 1997" Introduced -- referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary

	9/4/97 -- S. 1146 Committee on Judiciary hearings held.-- S.Hrg. 105-366

	9/16/97 -- H.R. 2180 Subcommittee Hearings held

	October 1997

	10/9/97 -- H.R. 2652 "Collections of Information Antipiracy Act" Introduced -- referred to House Committee on the Judiciary

	10/17/97 -- H.R. 2652 referred to Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property

10/23/97 -- H.R. 2652 Subcommittee Hearings held

	November 1997

	11/13/97 -- H.R. 3048 "Digital Era Copyright Enhancement Act" Introduced -- referred to House COmmittee on the Judiciary

	11/24/97 -- H.R. 3048 referred to Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property

	December 1997 - January 1998

	No official action

	February 1998

		2/12/98 -- H.R. 2180 reintroduced as H.R. 3209, referral to Judiciary

	March 1998

	3/18/98 -- H.R. 2652 subcommittee mark-up

	3/24/98 -- H.R. 2652 full committee mark-up

	April 1998

			4/1/98 -- H.R. 3209 merged with H.R. 2281 during mark-up of House Committee on the Judiciary -- no further action

	May 1998

	5/6/98 -- S. 2037 "Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998" Introduced -- Placed on the calendar in the Senate

	5/11/98 -- S. 2037 Report filed by Sen. Hatch -- S. Rept. 105-190

	5/12/98 -- H.R. 2652 reported to House and placed on the Union Calendar

	5/14/98 -- S. 2037 put before Senate and passes on a voice vote

	5/19/98 -- H.R. 2652 called up in the House under a suspension of the rules and passes by a voice vote.

	5/20/98 -- H.R. 2652 is sent to the Senate

	June 1998

	July 1998

	7/10/98 -- S. 2291 "Collections of Infromation Antipiracy Act" Introduced -- referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary

	August 1998

	September 1998

	9/17/98 -- S. 2037 discarded -- amended language substitued for language in H.R. 2281

	9/18/98 -- Message on Senate action sent to House

	October 1998

	10/13/98 -- S. 2291 reffered to Senate Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism, Government