Copyright Royalty Board, Library of Congress 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Copyright Royalty Judges are publishing for comment proposed regulations governing the statutory minimum fees to be paid by Commercial Webcasters under two statutory licenses, permitting certain digital performances of sound recordings and the making of ephemeral recordings, for the period beginning January 1, 2006, and ending on December 31, 2010.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce a cost of living adjustment (``COLA'') of -0.2% in the royalty rates that colleges, universities, and other nonprofit educational institutions that are not affiliated with National Public Radio pay for the use of published nondramatic musical compositions in the ASCAP, BMI and SESAC repertories. The COLA is based on the change in the Consumer Price Index from October 2008 to October 2009.

The Copyright Royalty Judges are issuing final regulations for the delivery and format of reports of use of sound recordings for the statutory licenses set forth in sections 112 and 114 of the Copyright Act.

The Copyright Royalty Board is issuing an interim regulation to amend its procedural regulations to include a provision governing remands of final determinations pursuant to the Copyright Act, which sets forth in significant detail the procedural structure to be followed by the Copyright Royalty Judges in making determinations to distribute royalty fees and establish royalty rates and terms under the various statutory licenses of the Copyright Act. The Judges have adopted regulations governing the conduct of these proceedings.

The Copyright Royalty Judges are seeking written comments from interested parties to questions relating to the costs of census versus sample reporting to assist the Judges in the revision of the interim regulations for filing notices of use and the delivery of records of use of sound recordings under two statutory licenses of the Copyright Act.

The Copyright Royalty Judges are announcing four modifications to the royalty terms previously adopted in their final determination of rates and terms for the mechanical and digital phonorecord delivery statutory license. These modifications are made to more clearly reflect the law as stated in the Register of Copyrights' decision of January 26, 2009.

The Copyright Royalty Judges are announcing the commencement of the proceeding to determine the rates and terms for the use of sound recordings in transmissions made by new subscription services and for the making of ephemeral recordings necessary for the facilitation of such transmissions for the period beginning on January 1, 2011, and ending on December 31, 2015. The Judges also are announcing the date by which a party who wishes to participate in the rate determination proceeding must file its Petition to Participate and the accompanying $150 filing fee.