U.S. Copyright Office Issues Final Rule Regarding Schedules of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings and Notices of Contact Information for Transmitting Entities
Issue No. 756 - March 22, 2019
Pursuant to the Classics Protection and Access Act, title II of the Orrin G. Hatch–Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act (“MMA”), the Copyright Office has issued a final rule, effective April 22, 2019, regarding sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972.
After soliciting public comments through an interim rule with request for comments, and as required by the MMA, the final rule provides a mechanism for rights owners to file schedules listing their pre-1972 sound recordings with the Office, for individuals to request timely notification of when such filings are indexed into the Office’s public records, and for the submission of contact information by entities publicly performing pre-1972 sound recordings by means of digital audio transmission as of October 11, 2018.