The Copyright Royalty Tribunal was established by act of October 19, 1976 (17 U.S.C. 801). The Tribunal was composed of five Commissioners appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

The Tribunal adjusted copyright royalty rates for cable retransmission of broadcast signals in recording new versions of previously recorded songs and for noncommercial educational stations that broadcast musical, pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works.

The Tribunal also had stand-by authority to adjust the rates for jukeboxes and satellite retransmission of broadcast signals to satellite homedish owners if the parties are unable to reach voluntary agreements among themselves. In addition, the Tribunal distributed the royalty fees deposited with the Copyright Office by cable operators and satellite carriers to the proper copyright owners.

In making its distribution determinations, the Tribunal considered the harm incurred by the copyright owners, the benefit to the cable satellite user, the marketplace value of the work, the time the work was aired, and the quality of the broadcast.

The Panel operated until 1993 when it was reoganized. The following is the Copyright Office notice of the change at that time:

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• Copyright Royalty Tribunal - Notices Index

• Go to the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP) Website

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
FROM THE COPYRIGHT OFFICE, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS,
WASHINGTON, D.C.

CONGRESS ESTABLISHES NEW COPYRIGHT ARBITRATION ROYALTY PANELS

*The "COPYRIGHT ROYALTY TRIBUNAL REFORM ACT OF 1993," Public Law 103-198, 107 Stat. 2304, which became effective December 17, 1993, transfers the functions of the Copyright Royalty Tribunal to the Library of Congress and the Copyright Office.

*The new law establishes ad hoc arbitration panels consisting of three members to be appointed by the Librarian of Congress.

*Ratemaking and distributions of copyright royalties collected under the compulsory licenses of the Copyright Act will now be entrusted to the arbitration panels.

*Regulations governing the procedures, general requirements, and administration of royalty ratemaking and distributions are currently being drafted to make the transition from the Copyright Royalty Tribunal to the Library of Congress as smooth as possible.

*The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress will begin, without delay, to receive and process royalty claims of copyright owners for royalties collected under the new Act.

This announcement is intended to alert you to the change and give you some preliminary information about implementing the Copyright Royalty Tribunal Reform Act of 1993.

           COPYRIGHT OFFICE*LIBRARY OF CONGRESS*WASHINGTON, D.C.

***12/22/93 (er)***