What Counts as a News Website? Feds Finally Clarify the Rules

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.

2026-11545, Exemptions To Permit Circumvention of Access Controls on Copyrighted Works

The U.S. Copyright Office is asking for ideas on when it should be okay to bypass digital locks on copyrighted stuff, like ebooks or videos, for certain good reasons. If you want to keep or add new exceptions, you need to send your petitions by August 24, 2026, and comments by September 28, 2026. This affects creators, users, and tech folks, and it’s all about balancing protection with fair use—no money changes hands, just your voice counts!

2026-02298, Notice of Intent To Audit

The U.S. Copyright Office is letting three digital music companies know they’ll be audited to check if they paid the right royalties from 2022 to 2024. This means CheckTheVolume.com, MedRhythms, and Music Health Pty Ltd. should get ready for a close look at their payments. The audit notices were filed in late 2025, and the results could affect money owed or paid.

Previous: 2026-16456, Appellate Jurisdiction Update II

The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB or Board) is amending its regulations to remove references to MSPB's jurisdiction over probationary termination, suitability, and reduction-in-force (RIF) appeals. This revision reflects the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM's) rescission of the MSPB's jurisdiction to hear these types of appeals. The rule retains MSPB's statutory jurisdiction over Foreign Service reduction-in-force appeals under 22 U.S.C. 4010a.

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.