Search Results for agency_names:"Copyright Royalty Board"

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 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 Judges received notices from SoundExchange, Inc. indicating their intent to audit royalty payments from commercial and non-commercial webcasters for the years 2021 to 2023. These audits will examine the accuracy of royalty payments made by companies like Beasley Mezzanine Holdings, iHeartMedia, and Family Stations, Inc., under statutory licenses. SoundExchange is responsible for collecting and distributing these royalties and can conduct such audits once a year to ensure compliance. This notice was published to fulfill the requirement of announcing these intentions in the Federal Register.

The Copyright Royalty Judges have received a notice from SoundExchange, Inc., expressing their intent to audit Music Choice. This audit aims to check the royalty payments made by Commercial Webcasters, Preexisting Subscription Services, and Business Establishment Services for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019. According to the rules, SoundExchange can audit a licensee once a year for the past three years to ensure proper royalty payments. The notice of this audit was filed on December 18, 2020, and must be published in the Federal Register within 30 days.

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 Judges have issued a decision on how to interpret a regulation about “Gross Proceeds” for royalty payments under the 17 U.S.C. 112 license. This interpretation was needed due to a dispute between SoundExchange and Music Choice about how much Music Choice should pay in royalties for using digital sound recordings in business establishments. The Judges concluded that all fees and payments should be considered in these "Gross Proceeds," except certain in-kind payments, which only count if they're strictly for helping with the business service's operation. This decision was made to clarify the ambiguity in the existing regulations and ensure fair compensation for the use of music in business settings.

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 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 proposing new regulations for the digital performance of sound recordings and making transient copies by new subscription services for the years 2026 to 2030. These regulations will determine how royalty rates are calculated for music services provided as part of TV packages, like cable or satellite, with a key change being the annual adjustment of fees based on inflation. Interested parties can comment or object to these proposed rules by January 21, 2025. Additionally, the changes incorporate the existing framework but include some updates, such as using proxy data to distribute royalties when licensees fail to report use data.

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.