Copyright Office Redefines 'News Website': Blogs and Buzzfeeds Rejoice?

2026-21939, Exemptions To Permit Circumvention of Access Controls on Copyrighted Works

The U.S. Copyright Office is updating rules that let people bypass digital locks on copyrighted stuff for certain reasons. Most current exceptions will stay, but one will go away, and new ones are up for debate. If you care about this, you’ve got until early 2027 to share your thoughts—no fees, just your voice!

2026-20537, Music Streaming Fraud

The U.S. Copyright Office is asking the public for help to understand and fight music streaming fraud, which cheats artists out of their fair pay. This effort, sparked by Congress, aims to protect musicians and make sure streaming platforms play fair. Comments are open until November 23, 2026, with replies due by December 21, 2026, so everyone can join the conversation before changes happen.

2026-11117, Periodic Review of the Designations of the Mechanical Licensing Collective and Digital Licensee Coordinator

The U.S. Copyright Office reviewed and decided to keep the Mechanical Licensing Collective and Digital Licensee Coordinator in charge of music licensing. This means artists and music companies can expect the same system to keep collecting and sharing royalties smoothly. The decision takes effect June 3, 2026, so everyone involved should stay tuned for ongoing royalty payments and licensing updates.

2026-10604, Group Registration of Updates to a News Website

The U.S. Copyright Office wants to make it easier for news websites to register their updates all at once by tweaking the rules about what counts as a 'news website.' This change affects news publishers who can save time and money by filing one application for a whole month of updates. If you want to share your thoughts, you’ve got until June 29, 2026, to speak up!

2026-05886, Alternative Fee Structures for Registration

The U.S. Copyright Office wants your ideas on new ways to charge fees once their upgraded online registration system is ready. They’re exploring how different fee plans might affect who signs up and how much it costs. If you have thoughts, send them in by June 24, 2026, to help shape the future of copyright registration fees!

2026-05529, Copyright Office Fees

The Copyright Office is planning to raise some fees for its services because costs have gone up since 2020. These changes will help the Office cover more of its expenses without making it too hard for people to use their services. If you want to share your thoughts, you have until May 4, 2026, to send in comments online.

Previous: 2026-16456, Appellate Jurisdiction Update II

Starting September 2, 2026, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) will no longer handle appeals for probationary terminations, suitability, and reduction-in-force (RIF) cases because the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) took back that authority. But don’t worry—MSPB will still manage Foreign Service RIF appeals and will keep working on cases filed before the change. This update mainly affects federal employees facing these specific appeals and won’t impact ongoing cases.

Next: 2026-16503, Empowering Broadband Consumers Through Transparency

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) eliminates or modifies certain broadband label requirements to ensure that consumers have clear, accurate, and concise information when shopping for broadband plans. Specifically, the Commission enables providers to describe label information in a natural, conversational style over the phone; simplify fee presentation to avoid clutter; remove outdated information from the label; use links or icons at point-of-sale to avoid unwieldy amounts of information that can overwhelm consumers; and eliminate requirements that go beyond our mandate. At the same time, the Commission ensures the labels remain accessible to people with disabilities, and that labels are displayed in the same language(s) used when marketing a service.