Funimation Shutdown Fuels Push for DMCA Exemption to Legally Rip Anime Content

Funimation’s 2024 shutdown ended access to digital copies bundled with some DVDs and Blu-rays, even though purchasers still own the discs. Making replacement files from those discs may require bypassing encryption, which the DMCA generally prohibits without an exemption. Two petitions now before the U.S. Copyright Office argue that narrowly limited personal copying should be allowed when promised digital access disappears or anime becomes unavailable through licensed services.

Jayden Milne’s petition covers discs sold with digital-copy promises, including copies already redeemed before a service closed and codes that have expired. It would permit one secured local copy, limited to the quality originally promised and for personal use; the file would have to be deleted if the disc were transferred or lost. Zakaria Zerhouane’s petition focuses on anime removed from U.S. streaming platforms or released on disc by defunct distributors. It also seeks permission to circumvent streaming controls such as geo-locks, arguing that licensing changes and removals without warning make access unreliable. Both proposals exclude commercial use and have uncertain prospects: the Copyright Office has previously rejected similar format-shifting exemptions. Supporters may comment by December 7, opponents by February 22, with hearings planned for spring.