The Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004

Publication Date: December 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Law and ethics

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Abstract:

P.L. 108-419, the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004 (CRDRA), was signed into law by President Bush on November 30, 2004. The law makes extensive changes to the procedural framework for adjudicating royalty rates for compulsory licenses under the Copyright Act. Compulsory licenses facilitate many copyright-related activities, including digital transmissions of sound recordings in webcasting. The law repeals and reenacts chapter 8 of Title 17 of the U.S. Code, 17 U.S.C. §§ 801-805. The previous ad hoc three-member Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel is replaced by standing Copyright Royalty Judges appointed for six-year terms.