This section prescribes rules under which the mechanical licensing collective shall ensure the usability, interoperability, and proper usage of the public musical works database created pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 115(d)(3)(E).
(a) Database access.
(1)
(i) The mechanical licensing collective shall make the musical works database available to members of the public in a searchable, real-time, online format, free of charge. In addition, the mechanical licensing collective shall make the musical works database available in a bulk, real-time, machine-readable format through a process for bulk data management widely adopted among music rights administrators to:
(A) Digital music providers operating under the authority of valid notices of license, and their authorized vendors, free of charge;
(B) Significant nonblanket licensees in compliance with their obligations under 17 U.S.C. 115(d)(6), and their authorized vendors, free of charge;
(C) The Register of Copyrights, free of charge; and
(D) Any other person or entity, including agents, consultants, vendors, and independent contractors of the mechanical licensing collective for any purpose other than the ordinary course of their work for the mechanical licensing collective, for a fee not to exceed the marginal cost to the mechanical licensing collective of providing the database to such person or entity.
(ii) Starting December 31, 2021, the mechanical licensing collective shall make the musical works database available at least in a bulk, real-time, machine-readable format under this paragraph (a)(1) through application programming interfaces (APIs).
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the mechanical licensing collective shall establish appropriate terms of use or other policies governing use of the database that allows the mechanical licensing collective to suspend access to any individual or entity that appears, in the mechanical licensing collective's reasonable determination, to be attempting to bypass the mechanical licensing collective's right to charge a fee to recover its marginal costs for bulk access outlined in 17 U.S.C. 115(d)(3)(E)(v)(V) through repeated queries, or to otherwise be engaging in unlawful activity with respect to the database (including, without limitation, seeking to hack or unlawfully access confidential, non-public information contained in the database) or misappropriating or using information from the database for improper purposes. The mechanical licensing collective's terms of use or other policies governing use of the database shall comply with this section.
(b) Point of contact for inquiries and complaints. In accordance with its obligations under 17 U.S.C. 115(d)(3)(D)(ix)(I)(bb), the mechanical licensing collective shall designate a point of contact for inquiries and complaints with timely redress, including complaints regarding the public musical works database and/or the mechanical licensing collective's activities. The mechanical licensing collective must make publicly available, including prominently on its website, the following information:
(1) The name of the designated point of contact for inquiries and complaints. The designated point of contact may be an individual (e.g., “Jane Doe”) or a specific position or title held by an individual at the mechanical licensing collective (e.g., “Customer Relations Manager”). Only a single point of contact may be designated.
(2) The physical mail address (street address or post office box), telephone number, and email address of the designated point of contact.
[85 FR 86822, Dec. 31, 2020]