question for the experts?

["Hamaker, Chuck" <cahamake@email.uncc.edu>]

Perhaps those who know a lot more about this than i do can answer a question
for me.

Can a library in order to migrate to a new format when an earlier format
is obsolete, under current copyright and DMCA laws circumvent a protection
code in order to migrate the content to a newer format? The other form of
preservation for digital content is to build an emulator that "works like"
the previous playback mechanism, but to create an emulator requires
reverse engineering. Are both solutions illegal for individuals and
libraries whose intent is to preserve the content if the content is still
under copyright?

Chuck Hamaker