Copyright Royalty Board

The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), created under the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004, is involved in the compulsory license for making and distributing phonorecords. Made up of three copyright royalty judges, the CRB determines the royalty fee that users must pay under a compulsory license. The judges, who are full-time employees of the Library of Congress, are appointed for six years with the opportunity for reappointment. However, the first three judges, appointed in 2006, are serving staggered terms of two, four, and six years, to establish a cycle that avoids having to replace all three judges at the same time.