DRM Keeps Library of Congress from Archiving

The Library of Congress is having problems with digital preservation, due to copyright laws. Though the Librarian of Congress gets to carve out exceptions to copyright law to help with archiving, the Library nonetheless faces a major hurdle: DRM. Though the Librarian can make exceptions to the provision of the DMCA prohibiting DRM circumvention, the Library can’t get ahold of circumvention technology, since such technology is outlawed. Just one example of the harm that can come from blanketly outlawing a technology, rather than making illegal bad uses of it. (Analogy to gun laws, anyone?)