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

The Copyright Royalty Judges are publishing for comment proposed regulations governing the rates and terms for the digital performances of sound recordings by new subscription services and for the making of ephemeral recordings necessary to facilitate those transmissions for the period commencing January 1, 2026, and ending on December 31, 2030.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 2.6% in the royalty rates satellite carriers pay for a compulsory license under the Copyright Act. The COLA is based on the change in the Consumer Price Index from October 2023 to October 2024.

The Copyright Royalty Judges are publishing for comment proposed regulations governing the rates and terms for the digital performance of sound recordings by noncommercial educational webcasters and for the making of ephemeral recordings necessary for the facilitation of such transmissions for the period commencing January 1, 2026, and ending on December 31, 2030.

The Copyright Royalty Judges (Judges) announce the commencement of proceedings to determine distribution of 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 royalties deposited with the Copyright Office under the cable service statutory license and the satellite carrier license. The Judges also set the date by which all parties wishing to participate and share in the distribution of cable or satellite retransmission royalties for 2018 through 2021, inclusive, must file Petitions to Participate and pay the accompanying $150 filing fee. The Judges seek a single Petition to Participate in either or both the allocation phase and distribution phase of the cable royalty proceeding and a separate Petition to Participate in either or both the allocation phase and the distribution phase of the satellite royalty proceeding. Any party that fails to file a petition to participate by the time set forth in this notice shall not be a participant at any stage of either proceeding.

The Copyright Royalty Judges solicit comments on a motion of Allocation Phase Parties for partial distribution of 2021 cable royalty funds.

On December 30, 2022, the Copyright Royalty Judges revised regulations. This document corrects the final regulations to add capitalization to certain defined terms and to correct a term regarding late fees.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce receipt from SoundExchange, Inc., of a notice of intent to audit the 2020, 2021, and 2022 statements of account submitted by commercial webcaster and business establishment service RFC Media concerning royalty payments it made pursuant to two statutory licenses.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce receipt from SoundExchange, Inc., of a notice of intent to audit the 2020, 2021, and 2022 statements of account submitted by noncommercial webcaster BBNRadio.org concerning royalty payments it made pursuant to two statutory licenses.

The Copyright Royalty Judges (Judges) announce commencement of a proceeding to determine reasonable rates and terms for digital performance of sound recordings by new subscription services and the making of ephemeral recordings to facilitate those performances for the period beginning January 1, 2026, and ending December 31, 2030. The Judges also announce the date by which a party wishing to participate in the rate determination proceeding must file its Petition to Participate and the accompanying $150 filing fee.

On November 30, 2023, the Copyright Royalty Judges amended regulations governing royalty rates that commercial and noncommercial noninteractive webcasters pay for eligible transmissions pursuant to the statutory licenses for the public performance of and for the making of ephemeral reproductions of sound recordings. That document contained an incorrect reference to a rate. This document corrects that reference.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce a cost of living adjustment (COLA) in the royalty rates for the statutory license for making and distributing phonorecords of nondramatic musical works regarding physical phonorecords and Permanent Downloads.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce a cost of living adjustment (COLA) to the royalty rate that noncommercial radio stations at certain colleges, universities, and other educational institutions that are not affiliated with National Public Radio must pay for the use in 2024 of published nondramatic musical compositions in the SESAC Performing Rights, LLC (SESAC) and Global Music Rights, LLC (GMR) repertories pursuant to the statutory license under the Copyright Act for noncommercial broadcasting.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 3.2% in the royalty rates satellite carriers pay for a compulsory license under the Copyright Act. The COLA is based on the change in the Consumer Price Index from October 2022 to October 2023.

The Copyright Royalty Judges solicit comments on a motion of Multigroup Claimants for partial distribution of 2021 and 2022 cable royalty funds.

The Copyright Royalty Judges publish final regulations that adjust the amounts and terms of the Administrative Assessment To fund the Mechanical Licensing Collective.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce their final determination after remand of the rates and terms for making and distributing phonorecords for the period beginning January 1, 2018, and ending on December 31, 2022.

The Copyright Royalty Judges publish final regulations that set rates and terms for use of certain works in connection with noncommercial broadcasting for the period from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2027.

The Copyright Royalty Judges solicit comments on a motion of Allocation Phase claimants for partial distribution of 2020 satellite royalty funds.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce receipt from SoundExchange, Inc., of notice of intent to audit the 2020, 2021, and 2022 statements of account submitted by commercial webcaster licensee Sonos Radio concerning royalty payments it made pursuant to two statutory licenses.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce receipt from SoundExchange, Inc., of notices of intent to audit the 2019, 2020, and 2021 statements of account submitted by commercial webcasters Cox Radio Interactive, Deseret Management Corporation, and Feed Media, Inc. concerning royalty payments they made pursuant to two statutory licenses.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce receipt from SoundExchange, Inc., of a notice of intent to audit the 2019, 2020, and 2021 statements of account submitted by Education Media Foundation's Noncommercial Webcaster service concerning royalty payments they made pursuant to two statutory licenses.

The Copyright Royalty Judges publish final regulations that set rates and terms for physical phonorecords, permanent downloads, ringtones, and music bundles applicable during the period from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2027, for the statutory license for making and distributing phonorecords of nondramatic musical works.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce a cost of living adjustment (COLA) in the royalty rates that commercial and noncommercial noninteractive webcasters pay for eligible transmissions pursuant to the statutory licenses for the public performance of and for the making of ephemeral reproductions of sound recordings.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce receipt from SoundExchange, Inc., of notice of intent to audit the 2019, 2020, and 2021 statements of account submitted by Sirius XM Radio Inc.'s Commercial Webcaster service, Preexisting Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service, New Subscription Service, and Business Establishment Service concerning royalty payments they made pursuant to two statutory licenses.

The Copyright Royalty Judges withdraw a proposed rule that would have set continued, unaltered rates and terms for subpart B configurations subject to the statutory license to use nondramatic musical works to make and distribute phonorecords of those works (the Mechanical License).