Copyright Royalty Tribunal

Overview
The Copyright Royalty Tribunal was established by an act of October 19, 1976. The Tribunal was composed of five Commissioners appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the U.S. 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 dish 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 considers 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.