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A bill to provide fair compensation to artists for use of their sound recordings.

12/18/2007--Introduced.

Performance Rights Act - Amends federal copyright law to: (1) grant performers of sound recordings equal rights to compensation from terrestrial broadcasters; (2) establish a flat annual fee in lieu of payment of royalties for individual terrestrial broadcast stations with gross revenues of less than $1.25 million and for non-commercial, public broadcast stations; (3) grant an exemption from royalty payments for broadcasts of religious services and for incidental uses of musical sound recordings; and (4) grant terrestrial broadcast stations that make limited feature uses of sound recordings a per program license option.

Provides that nothing in this Act shall adversely affect the public performance rights or royalties payable to songwriters or copyright owners of musical works.

Latest Actions
  • 07/29/2008 - Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
  • 12/18/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S15917-15918)
  • 12/18/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S15918)
Bill Text
File name Last Updated
S.2500 Introduced in Senate12/28/2007