American Music Fairness Act
Latest action · Feb 2, 2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S235)
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedFeb 2, 2023
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
American Music Fairness Act
This bill establishes that the copyright holder of a sound recording shall have the exclusive right to perform the sound recording through an audio transmission. (Currently, the public performance right only covers performances through a digital audio transmission in certain instances, which means that nonsubscription terrestrial radio stations generally do not have to get a license to publicly perform a copyright-protected sound recording.)
Under the bill, a nonsubscription broadcast transmission must have a license to publicly perform such sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board must periodically determine the royalty rates for such a license. When determining the rates, the board must base its decision on certain information presented by the parties, including the radio stations' effect on other streams of revenue related to the sound recordings.
Terrestrial broadcast stations (and the owners of such stations) that fall below certain revenue thresholds may pay certain flat fees, instead of the board-established rate, for a license to publicly perform copyright-protected sound recordings.
Cosponsors 4
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 2, 2023 to Jul 30, 2024, with 3 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Dianne Feinstein | Original | Feb 2, 2023 |
| R-TN | Marsha Blackburn | Original | Feb 2, 2023 |
| R-NC | Thom Tillis | Original | Feb 2, 2023 |
| D-CA | Laphonza R. Butler | Jul 30, 2024 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 2, 2023Introduced in Senate
- Feb 2, 2023Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S235)
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 791 | American Music Fairness Act of 2023 | Related bill | Feb 2, 2023 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Commerce.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Feb 2, 2023Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.