Title 17, CopyrightsRelease 119-110

§1101 Unauthorized Fixation and Trafficking in Sound Recordings and Music Videos

Title 17 › CHAPTER 11 — SOUND RECORDINGS AND MUSIC VIDEOS › § 1101

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Prohibits anyone from recording, copying, sharing, selling, renting, or otherwise dealing in a live musical performance without the performers' permission, even if the recording was made outside the United States. People who do any of these acts can be sued and face the same remedies as copyright infringers under sections 502 through 505. "Traffic" means the same as in section 2320(e) of title 18. The rule applies to acts on or after the date of the enactment of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. It does not cancel or limit any rights or remedies under state law.

Full Legal Text

Title 17, §1101

Copyrights, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Unauthorized Acts.—
Anyone who, without the consent of the performer or performers involved—
(1)fixes the sounds or sounds and images of a live musical performance in a copy or phonorecord, or reproduces copies or phonorecords of such a performance from an unauthorized fixation,
(2)transmits or otherwise communicates to the public the sounds or sounds and images of a live musical performance, or
(3)distributes or offers to distribute, sells or offers to sell, rents or offers to rent, or traffics in any copy or phonorecord fixed as described in paragraph (1), regardless of whether the fixations occurred in the United States,
shall be subject to the remedies provided in sections 502 through 505, to the same extent as an infringer of copyright.
(b)Definition.—
In this section, the term “traffic” has the same meaning as in section 2320(e) of title 18.
(c)Applicability.—
This section shall apply to any act or acts that occur on or after the date of the enactment of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.
(d)State Law Not Preempted.—
Nothing in this section may be construed to annul or limit any rights or remedies under the common law or statutes of any State.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 2320 of title 18, referred to in subsec. (b), was amended generally by Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title VIII, § 818(h), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1497, and, as so amended, provisions similar to those formerly appearing in subsec. (e) are now contained in subsec. (f). The date of the enactment of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, referred to in subsec. (c), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 103–465, which was approved Dec. 8, 1994.

Amendments

2006—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–181 added subsec. (b) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (b). Text read as follows: “As used in this section, the term ‘traffic in’ means transport, transfer, or otherwise dispose of, to another, as consideration for anything of value, or make or obtain control of with intent to transport, transfer, or dispose of.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

17 U.S.C. § 1101

Title 17, Copyrights

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110