Funimation Shutdown Spurs DMCA Exemption Bid for Personal Anime Copies
Funimation shut down in April 2024, and the DVDs and Blu-rays that once came with access to its digital versions no longer carry that access.
1 source 1h ago
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
Why it matters
The application tests whether a storefront shutdown, not piracy, can justify a ripping exception, and the Copyright Office's 2027 review is where that question gets answered.
Key Facts
- Funimation shut down in April 2024 after merging with Crunchyroll under Sony in 2022.
- Crunchyroll's help page states it does not support Funimation digital copies obtained through DVDs or Blu-rays.
- Jaden Milne filed the DMCA exemption application covering personal local copies of DVDs and Blu-rays.
- The U.S. Copyright Office accepts comments in favor until December 7, 2026, and in opposition until February 22, 2027.
- A public hearing on the application is scheduled for spring 2027.
A DMCA exemption application filed by Jaden Milne asks the U.S. Copyright Office to let owners of those discs make one secure local copy for personal use when the digital copy on the package is gone. Public comments run to December 7, 2026, with opposition comments due February 22, 2027 and a hearing in spring 2027.
Crunchyroll's help page states it does not support Funimation digital copies obtained through DVDs or Blu-rays, and points users to its own library. The discs themselves still hold the content, but the DMCA bars circumventing their encryption unless an exception applies, so making a personal digital copy is currently unlawful.
The proposed exception carries limits: a copy is capped at the resolution stated on the package even if the disc holds a higher version, and selling or transferring the copy is prohibited. The U.S. Copyright Office reviews exceptions every three years, and the next update is scheduled for 2027.
Written with AI by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited. See our editorial policy.
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