According to a story on CNet, the Library of Congress has issued the new exemptions to the DMCA and they are minimal.

The exemptions allow for the removal of copy protection systems in four specific cases: obsolete software that requires security dongles, e-books that don't provide for handicapped access (specifically for the blind), computer programs and video games that use obsolete hardware, and to obtain the list of sites that are being blocked in filtering (but not anti-spam) software.

The belief by many privacy and free-speech advocates is that these exemptions do not go far enough. In particular, there are no exemptions for situations such as the copying of DVDs to provide backups for media that are decaying (such as was described in an article on this site).