Why Information Governance is Essential for DMCA Compliance in the Entertainment Industry

Let’s face it: We live in an age where digital distribution is the norm and content piracy is only a click away. Entertainment companies now face mounting pressure to protect their intellectual property.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), enacted in 1998 – over 25 years ago, was designed to help address these challenges.

But complying with its intricate requirements and adapting them to the current technological framework is far from simple—especially for studios, streaming platforms, and digital content producers managing thousands of assets across global networks.

What’s often overlooked is how effective information governance (IG) practices serve as the foundation for consistent, sustainable DMCA compliance. By establishing the right policies, metadata structures, repositories, and collaboration tools, entertainment companies can manage risk, enforce copyright protections, and demonstrate a proactive commitment to safeguarding IP.

That’s why we’re here…

Disney’s Model: Antipiracy and Information Integrity

Consider The Walt Disney Company—a global leader in media and storytelling—as a prime example. Disney’s published Antipiracy Policy outlines its serious commitment to copyright enforcement. The company asserts ownership over an extensive catalog of characters, brands, programs, games, and music, and proactively invites the public to report suspected infringements through its dedicated Antipiracy Group.

This kind of visible, well-structured policy does more than protect revenue—it builds trust with creators and the public. But policies alone aren’t enough. Behind the scenes, information governance principles make enforcement work at scale.

DMCA Compliance: Beyond Legal Frameworks

The DMCA's safe harbor provisions protect online service providers from liability—but only if they follow clear procedural requirements. These include:

• A functional notice-and-takedown system

• Implementation of repeat infringer policies

• Prompt responses to infringement notifications

Without strong IG practices, it’s nearly impossible to meet these requirements consistently—especially across large entertainment ecosystems with complex workflows and user-generated content.

IG Tools that Strengthen Compliance

Implementing IG best practices allows entertainment companies to respond to infringement quickly and defensibly.

Here are 5 IG strategies for enabling sustained DMCA compliance.

• Centralized Digital Repositories: By consolidating all copyrighted material—scripts, videos, soundtracks, artwork—into a centralized digital asset management system, companies gain full visibility into what they own and where it's being used. This simplifies the takedown process and ensures the right assets are protected with the correct licenses and access controls.

• Metadata and Rights Management: Disney’s antipiracy efforts are successful in part because their content is easily traceable. Internally, this means leveraging rich metadata structures that document ownership, release dates, usage rights, and distribution history. Well-governed metadata ensures content can be found, validated, and defended in response to takedown notices or third-party claims.

• Role-Based Access and Audit Trails: Audit trails play a vital role in proving DMCA compliance. Systems should log every access, edit, or distribution of copyrighted material, and limit changes to authorized personnel. This is particularly important in environments with global teams or third-party collaborators.

• Policy-Driven Takedown Workflows: Like Disney, organizations need clearly documented workflows for responding to takedown requests and counterclaims. These workflows should be mapped to legal timelines and enforced through compliance dashboards. Integration with email or collaboration platforms ensures that notices don’t fall through the cracks.

• Repeat Infringer Management: The DMCA requires that companies terminate service to repeat infringers “in appropriate circumstances.” IG makes this enforceable through violation tracking systems tied to user accounts, enabling internal compliance teams to act quickly and consistently while documenting each step.

From Compliance to Competitive Advantage

Too often, DMCA compliance is treated as a legal obligation or cost center. But companies like Disney demonstrate how it can be a strategic differentiator. Their public-facing stance on copyright, combined with behind-the-scenes governance systems, ensures that both original content and corporate reputation remain protected.

Moreover, strong information governance reduces litigation risk, builds trust with creators and licensors, and makes internal teams more efficient. Rather than reactively chasing piracy, companies can proactively enforce their rights while creating a frictionless path for innovation.

The DMCA remains a cornerstone of digital copyright protection, but the responsibility for enforcement lies squarely with the content owners and distributors. Entertainment companies that adopt robust information governance practices—like those evident in Disney’s approach—are best positioned to comply with the law, protect their assets, and lead in an industry where digital risk is omnipresent.

IG professionals play a crucial role in helping entertainment companies comply with the DMCA by designing and enforcing the policies, metadata frameworks, and technology controls needed to manage digital assets effectively.

They do this by helping staff devise frameworks for ensuring that copyright ownership is documented, access is controlled, audit trails are maintained, and takedown procedures are both consistent and defensible. Moreover, by bridging legal, IT, and creative teams, IG professionals create the infrastructure that enables secure collaboration while protecting intellectual property rights at every stage of the content lifecycle.

Whether you’re managing a major entertainment franchise or launching an emerging (and niche) digital library, information governance is no longer optional—it’s your most powerful defense.

And IG professionals play a key role in helping you get there.