Senator Patrick Leahy in the U.S. Senate (Cong. Rec. S11890) (daily ed. Oct. 8, 1998):
I should note that there are provisions in Title I that address certain technologies used to control copying of motion pictures in analog form on video cassette recorders which were not part of either the original Senate or House DMCA bills. These provisions establish certain requirements only for analog videocassette recorders, analog videocassette camcorders and professional analog videocassette recorders. It is my understanding that these provisions do not establish any obligations with respect to digital technologies, including computers or software.

It is also my understanding that the intent of the conferees is that these provisions neither establish, nor should be interpreted as establishing, a precedent for Congress to legislate specific standards or specific technologies to be used as technological protection measures, particularly with respect to computers and software. Generally, Congress should not establish technology specific rules; technology develops best and most rapidly in response to marketplace forces.