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Title 17, CopyrightsRelease 119-110

§804 Institution of Proceedings

Title 17 › CHAPTER 8 — PROCEEDINGS BY COPYRIGHT ROYALTY JUDGES › § 804

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Owners or users of works that pay royalties under parts of the copyright law (for example, rules found in sections 111, 112, 114, 115, 116, 118, 119, and 1004) may file a written request with the Copyright Royalty Judges asking them to set or change a royalty rate. The Judges will check whether the filer has a real and important stake in the rate. If they do, the Judges must publish their decision and reasons in the Federal Register and start the official proceeding. The law sets schedules and special rules for when petitions can be filed. For section 111, some petitions could be filed in 2015 and then every fifth year, while other petitions must be filed within 12 months after a triggering event; any new rate usually takes effect at the first accounting period after the Judges publish their decision. Proceedings under section 112 were to start in 2007 and repeat every five years for rules taking effect January 1, 2009. Proceedings for sections 114 and related 112 rules began soon after the 2004 Act for rates covering January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2010, with follow-up schedules in January 2009 and then every five years, and special timing for preexisting subscription and satellite services (including specific extensions through December 31, 2027 and a December 14, 2017 decision that cannot be reheard or appealed). New kinds of services get a notice within 30 days of a petition and a final decision within 24 months. Section 115 petitions started in 2006 and repeat every five years or when parties agree. Section 116 petitions must be filed within one year after certain negotiated licenses end; in some coin‑operated player cases an interim rate equal to the last rate stays in place until a new decision or a new license. Section 118 follows the 2006/5‑year rule. Section 1004 follows its own rule in 1004(a)(3). If there is a dispute about how to distribute collected royalties under sections like 111, 119, or 1007, the Judges must publish a notice and begin proceedings.

Full Legal Text

Title 17, §804

Copyrights, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Filing of Petition.—
With respect to proceedings referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 801(b) concerning the determination or adjustment of royalty rates as provided in section 111, 112, 114, 115, 116, 118, 119, and 1004, during the calendar years specified in the schedule set forth in subsection (b), any owner or user of a copyrighted work whose royalty rates are specified by this title, or are established under this chapter before or after the enactment of the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004, may file a petition with the Copyright Royalty Judges declaring that the petitioner requests a determination or adjustment of the rate. The Copyright Royalty Judges shall make a determination as to whether the petitioner has such a significant interest in the royalty rate in which a determination or adjustment is requested. If the Copyright Royalty Judges determine that the petitioner has such a significant interest, the Copyright Royalty Judges shall cause notice of this determination, with the reasons for such determination, to be published in the Federal Register, together with the notice of commencement of proceedings under this chapter. With respect to proceedings under paragraph (1) of section 801(b) concerning the determination or adjustment of royalty rates as provided in section 112 and 114, during the calendar years specified in the schedule set forth in subsection (b), the Copyright Royalty Judges shall cause notice of commencement of proceedings under this chapter to be published in the Federal Register as provided in section 803(b)(1)(A).
(b)Timing of Proceedings.—
(1)section 111 proceedings.—
(A)A petition described in subsection (a) to initiate proceedings under section 801(b)(2) concerning the adjustment of royalty rates under section 111 to which subparagraph (A) or (D) of section 801(b)(2) applies may be filed during the year 2015 and in each subsequent fifth calendar year.
(B)In order to initiate proceedings under section 801(b)(2) concerning the adjustment of royalty rates under section 111 to which subparagraph (B) or (C) of section 801(b)(2) applies, within 12 months after an event described in either of those subsections, any owner or user of a copyrighted work whose royalty rates are specified by section 111, or by a rate established under this chapter before or after the enactment of the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004, may file a petition with the Copyright Royalty Judges declaring that the petitioner requests an adjustment of the rate. The Copyright Royalty Judges shall then proceed as set forth in subsection (a) of this section. Any change in royalty rates made under this chapter pursuant to this subparagraph may be reconsidered in the year 2015, and each fifth calendar year thereafter, in accordance with the provisions in section 801(b)(2)(B) or (C), as the case may be. A petition for adjustment of rates established by section 111(d)(1)(B) as a result of a change in the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission shall set forth the change on which the petition is based.
(C)Any adjustment of royalty rates under section 111 shall take effect as of the first accounting period commencing after the publication of the determination of the Copyright Royalty Judges in the Federal Register, or on such other date as is specified in that determination.
(2)Certain section 112 proceedings.—
Proceedings under this chapter shall be commenced in the year 2007 to determine reasonable terms and rates of royalty payments for the activities described in section 112(e)(1) relating to the limitation on exclusive rights specified by section 114(d)(1)(C)(iv), to become effective on January 1, 2009. Such proceedings shall be repeated in each subsequent fifth calendar year.
(3)section 114 and corresponding 112 proceedings.—
(A)For eligible nonsubscription services and new subscription services.—
Proceedings under this chapter shall be commenced as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004 to determine reasonable terms and rates of royalty payments under section 114 and 112 for the activities of eligible nonsubscription transmission services and new subscription services, to be effective for the period beginning on January 1, 2006, and ending on December 31, 2010. Such proceedings shall next be commenced in January 2009 to determine reasonable terms and rates of royalty payments, to become effective on January 1, 2011. Thereafter, such proceedings shall be repeated in each subsequent fifth calendar year.
(B)For preexisting subscription and satellite digital audio radio services.—
Proceedings under this chapter shall be commenced in January 2006 to determine reasonable terms and rates of royalty payments under section 114 and 112 for the activities of preexisting subscription services, to be effective during the period beginning on January 1, 2008, and ending on December 31, 2012, and preexisting satellite digital audio radio services, to be effective during the period beginning on January 1, 2007, and ending on December 31, 2012. Such proceedings shall next be commenced in 2011 to determine reasonable terms and rates of royalty payments, to become effective on January 1, 2013. Thereafter, such proceedings shall be repeated in each subsequent fifth calendar year, except that—(i) with respect to preexisting subscription services, the terms and rates finally determined for the rate period ending on December 31, 2022, shall remain in effect through December 31, 2027, and there shall be no proceeding to determine terms and rates for preexisting subscription services for the period beginning on January 1, 2023, and ending on December 31, 2027; and” “ (ii) with respect to pre-existing satellite digital audio radio services, the terms and rates set forth by the Copyright Royalty Judges on December 14, 2017, in their initial determination for the rate period ending on December 31, 2022, shall be in effect through December 31, 2027, without any change based on a rehearing under section 803(c)(2) and without the possibility of appeal under section 803(d), and there shall be no proceeding to determine terms and rates for preexisting satellite digital audio radio services for the period beginning on January 1, 2023, and ending on December 31, 2027.
(C)(i)Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, this subparagraph shall govern proceedings commenced pursuant to section 114(f)(1)(C) concerning new types of services.
(ii)Not later than 30 days after a petition to determine rates and terms for a new type of service is filed by any copyright owner of sound recordings, or such new type of service, indicating that such new type of service is or is about to become operational, the Copyright Royalty Judges shall issue a notice for a proceeding to determine rates and terms for such service.
(iii)The proceeding shall follow the schedule set forth in subsections (b), (c), and (d) of section 803, except that—
(I)the determination shall be issued by not later than 24 months after the publication of the notice under clause (ii); and
(II)the decision shall take effect as provided in subsections (c)(2) and (d)(2) of section 803 and section 114(f)(3)(B)(ii) and (C).
(iv)The rates and terms shall remain in effect for the period set forth in section 114(f)(1)(C).
(4)section 115 proceedings.—
A petition described in subsection (a) to initiate proceedings under section 801(b)(1) concerning the adjustment or determination of royalty rates as provided in section 115 may be filed in the year 2006 and in each subsequent fifth calendar year, or at such other times as the parties have agreed under section 115(c)(3)(B) and (C).
(5)section 116 proceedings.—
(A)A petition described in subsection (a) to initiate proceedings under section 801(b) concerning the determination of royalty rates and terms as provided in section 116 may be filed at any time within 1 year after negotiated licenses authorized by section 116 are terminated or expire and are not replaced by subsequent agreements.
(B)If a negotiated license authorized by section 116 is terminated or expires and is not replaced by another such license agreement which provides permission to use a quantity of musical works not substantially smaller than the quantity of such works performed on coin-operated phonorecord players during the 1-year period ending March 1, 1989, the Copyright Royalty Judges shall, upon petition filed under paragraph (1) within 1 year after such termination or expiration, commence a proceeding to promptly establish an interim royalty rate or rates for the public performance by means of a coin-operated phonorecord player of nondramatic musical works embodied in phonorecords which had been subject to the terminated or expired negotiated license agreement. Such rate or rates shall be the same as the last such rate or rates and shall remain in force until the conclusion of proceedings by the Copyright Royalty Judges, in accordance with section 803, to adjust the royalty rates applicable to such works, or until superseded by a new negotiated license agreement, as provided in section 116(b).
(6)section 118 proceedings.—
A petition described in subsection (a) to initiate proceedings under section 801(b)(1) concerning the determination of reasonable terms and rates of royalty payments as provided in section 118 may be filed in the year 2006 and in each subsequent fifth calendar year.
(7)section 1004 proceedings.—
A petition described in subsection (a) to initiate proceedings under section 801(b)(1) concerning the adjustment of reasonable royalty rates under section 1004 may be filed as provided in section 1004(a)(3).
(8)Proceedings concerning distribution of royalty fees.—
With respect to proceedings under section 801(b)(3) concerning the distribution of royalty fees in certain circumstances under section 111, 119, or 1007, the Copyright Royalty Judges shall, upon a determination that a controversy exists concerning such distribution, cause to be published in the Federal Register notice of commencement of proceedings under this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The enactment of and the date of enactment of the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b)(1)(B), (3)(A), mean the date of enactment of Pub. L. 108–419, which was approved Nov. 30, 2004. section 115(c), referred to in subsec. (b)(4), was amended generally by Pub. L. 115–264, title I, § 102(a)(3), Oct. 11, 2018, 132 Stat. 3679, and, as so amended, no longer contains a par. (3).

Prior Provisions

A prior section 804 was renumbered section 803 of this title prior to the general amendment of this chapter by Pub. L. 108–419.

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (b)(3)(B). Pub. L. 115–264, § 103(i), inserted “, except that—” and cls. (i) and (ii) after “fifth calendar year”. Subsec. (b)(3)(C)(i). Pub. L. 115–264, § 103(g)(4)(A), struck out “and 114(f)(2)(C)” after “section 114(f)(1)(C)”. Subsec. (b)(3)(C)(iii)(II). Pub. L. 115–264, § 103(g)(4)(B), substituted “114(f)(3)(B)(ii)” for “114(f)(4)(B)(ii)”. Subsec. (b)(3)(C)(iv). Pub. L. 115–264, § 103(g)(4)(C), struck out “or 114(f)(2)(C), as the case may be” after “section 114(f)(1)(C)”. 2010—Subsec. (b)(1)(A), (B). Pub. L. 111–175 substituted “2015” for “2005”. 2006—Subsec. (b)(1)(B). Pub. L. 109–303, § 3(12), substituted “801(b)(2)(B) or (C)” for “801(b)(3)(B) or (C)” and “change in” for “change is”. Subsec. (b)(3)(A). Pub. L. 109–303, § 3(13)(A), substituted “date of enactment” for “

Effective Date

”. Subsec. (b)(3)(C)(ii). Pub. L. 109–303, § 3(13)(B)(i), substituted “is filed” for “that is filed”. Subsec. (b)(3)(C)(iii). Pub. L. 109–303, § 3(13)(B)(ii), substituted “subsections (b)” for “such subsections (b)”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2010 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 111–175 effective Feb. 27, 2010, see section 307(a) of Pub. L. 111–175, set out as a note under section 111 of this title.

Effective Date

of 2006 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 109–303 effective as if included in the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004, Pub. L. 108–419, see section 6 of Pub. L. 109–303, set out as a note under section 111 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

17 U.S.C. § 804

Title 17, Copyrights

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110