Definitions[]
U.S. copyright law[]
A statutory license is "[a] right to use certain works if certain statutory requirements are met as required by the Copyright Law."[1]
A statutory license
| “ | permit[s] the public performance of the copyright-protected works in exchange for payment of royalties established using processes defined by statute.[2] | ” |
| “ | require copyright owners to allow third parties to use their works under certain conditions and according to specific requirements. A user of a statutory license need not obtain or negotiate permission from the copyright owner for using a work; that permission is "compulsory."[3] | ” |
Overview (U.S. copyright law)[]
| “ | [S]tatutory licenses are exceptions under copyright law and a limitation on the fundamental principle that authors should enjoy exclusive rights to their creative works, including for the purpose of controlling the terms of public dissemination. Historically, the Copyright Office has supported statutory licenses only when warranted by special circumstances and only for as long as necessary to achieve a specific goal. And Congress has enacted such provisions sparingly.[4] | ” |
There are several different statutory licenses set forth in the Copyright Act of 1976, including:
- Statutory license of musical compositions
- Statutory license of sound recordings
- Statutory license of television programming
References[]
- ↑ Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition, Glossary, at 16.
- ↑ To Date, DISH Network Is Cooperating with the Court-Appointed Special Master's Examination of Its Compliance with the Section 119 Statutory License, at 2 n.8.
- ↑ What's on Television? The Intersection of Communications and Copyright Policies, at 14 n.54.
- ↑ Section 302 Report, at 1.