Copyright Office Proposes Update to MMA Transition Period Regulations for Transfer and Reporting of Royalties to the Mechanical Licensing Collective
Issue No. 845 - July 17, 2020
Pursuant to the Musical Works Modernization Act, title I of the Music Modernization Act (MMA), the U.S. Copyright Office is proposing to amend its regulations pertaining to cumulative statements of account required to be submitted by digital music providers to the mechanical licensing collective, for such providers to qualify for the statutory limitation on liability for unlicensed uses of musical works prior to the license availability date.
The Office previously made a technical implementation of the MMA to conform its regulations to account for new statutory requirements, including for cumulative statements of account. As part of its ongoing efforts to implement the MMA, the Office provided another opportunity for the public to comment on these regulations. Following consideration of these comments and separate comments related to monthly reporting that will be required of digital music providers, the Office now proposes to update the cumulative statement of account requirements to with respect to the information, format, and delivery of these statements submitted to the mechanical licensing collective.
The Office invites public comments on the proposed rule. The proposed rule and instructions on how to submit comments are available here. Written comments must be received no later than August 17, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. eastern time.