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The Copyright Royalty Judges are proposing an amendment to their regulations to allow flexibility in how they conduct hearings. Traditionally held in person at the Library of Congress, the hearings could also take place at an alternative location or virtually, depending on the situation. This change aims to adapt to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many hearings to shift online. The Judges are inviting public comments on this proposed rule change.

The Copyright Royalty Board has announced a proposed settlement regarding royalty rates and terms for cable TV systems retransmitting over-the-air broadcasts. Currently, a settlement has been reached to maintain existing royalty rates without quinquennial adjustments for the 2020-2025 period. Input from interested parties is being sought, with comments due by February 25, 2021. This adjustment decision means that cable systems and copyright holders will continue under the current terms unless further objections are raised and accepted.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announced that they received notices from SoundExchange, Inc. to audit the financial reports for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019 from several commercial webcasting companies like Cumulus Media and Pandora Media, LLC. This audit is to ensure that the royalties due under certain licenses, which let these companies legally stream digital audio, have been paid correctly. SoundExchange is authorized to do such audits once a year, and they must notify both the companies involved and publish in the Federal Register within 30 days of filing the notice. This notice fulfills that requirement for the audits initiated by SoundExchange.

The Copyright Royalty Judges have received notifications from SoundExchange, Inc., indicating their intent to audit the royalty payments made by commercial webcasters Alpha Media LLC and Univision Communications Inc. for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024. The audits are to verify the correctness of the royalty payments according to statutory licenses covering certain digital audio transmissions. This notice in the Federal Register meets the Judges' requirement to publish this information. SoundExchange, as the designated organization, is responsible for collecting and distributing these royalties to relevant copyright owners and performers.

The Copyright Royalty Board is updating regulations for its electronic filing system, eCRB. These updates allow attorney designees with approved accounts to file documents electronically on behalf of attorneys. The changes are part of a final rule effective February 16, 2021. The Board also sets guidelines for the use of eCRB passwords and privacy measures to protect sensitive information filed within the system.

The Copyright Royalty Board is correcting a proposed rule initially published on December 19, 2024, which concerns digital performance rates and ephemeral recordings for new subscription services from 2026 to 2030. The original document had a mistake in the rate adjustment formulas because it missed some parentheses, making the equations incorrect. This new document fixes those formulas. Comments on the proposed rule can be submitted online until March 12, 2025, using the Copyright Royalty Board's electronic filing system.

The Copyright Royalty Judges have announced a new value adjustment for the royalty rates paid by webcasters for playing sound recordings. Effective from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, the rates account for changes in living costs. For commercial webcasters, the rate is set at $0.0032 per subscription performance and $0.0025 per nonsubscription performance. Noncommercial webcasters will pay $1,000 per channel annually, plus $0.0025 per performance for plays beyond a monthly limit of 159,140 listener hours.

The Copyright Royalty Judges are starting a process to adjust the fees for cable companies who want to retransmit TV and radio broadcasts, as outlined in the Copyright Act. This process involves a specific license that allows for such retransmissions, and cable companies have to pay royalties based on the money they make from subscribers. The new rates need to be adjusted every five years, and since no one requested a change for 2025 yet, the Judges are required to announce this process and are asking interested parties to submit their requests to participate by January 27, 2025, using an online form and paying a fee.

The Copyright Royalty Judges have started a process to determine fair rates and terms for making and distributing phonorecords from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2027. Interested parties who want to participate must file a "Petition to Participate" using the Copyright Royalty Board's online system and pay a $150 fee by February 4, 2021. The process is part of the statutory license outlined in 17 U.S.C. 115 and happens every five years. Legal representation is required unless an individual chooses to represent themselves.