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United States · Bill · HR

H.R. 848 (111th)

Performance Rights Act

openUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

4 February 2009

Last action

14 December 2010 · Reported

Status

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 405.

Sponsors

Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13], Rep. Issa, Darrell [R-CA-48], Rep. Berman, Howard L. [D-CA-28], Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN], Rep. Hodes, Paul W. [D-NH-2], Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25], Rep. Weiner, Anthony D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9], Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12], Rep. Wexler, Robert [D-FL-19], Rep. Peterson, Collin C. [D-MN-7], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA], Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32], Rep. Shadegg, John B. [R-AZ-3], Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18], Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38], Rep. Harman, Jane [D-CA-36], Rep. Waxman, Henry A. [D-CA-33], Rep. Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [D-NY-25], Rep. Cooper, Jim [D-TN-5], Rep. Higgins, Brian [D-NY-26], Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2], Rep. Adler, John H. [D-NJ-3], Rep. Moran, James P. [D-VA-8], Rep. Capps, Lois [D-CA-24], Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Towns, Edolphus [D-NY-10], Rep. Holt, Rush [D-NJ-12], Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30], Rep. Rothman, Steven R. [D-NJ-9], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Israel, Steve [D-NY-3], Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4], Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5], Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2], Rep. Fudge, Marcia L. [D-OH-11], Rep. Miller, George [D-CA-11], Rep. Wamp, Zach [R-TN-3], Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD], Rep. Inslee, Jay [D-WA-1], Rep. Crowley, Joseph [D-NY-14], Rep. Watson, Diane E. [D-CA-33], Rep. Gordon, Bart [D-TN-6], Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-18], Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12], Rep. Tierney, John F. [D-MA-6]

Subjects

Discovery layer

Source updated

7 April 2025

Official sourceDownload fileView documentsShare

Summary

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 noncommercial, 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. Prohibits taking into account license fees payable for public performance via digital audio transmission of sound recordings in any proceeding to set or adjust the license fees for the purpose of reducing or adversely affecting such license fees. (Current law prohibits taking those fees into account in such a proceeding without referencing the purpose.) Prohibits anything in this Act from adversely affecting the public performance rights or royalties payable to songwriters or copyright owners of musical works. Prohibits taking into account the rates established by the Copyright Royalty Judges in any proceeding to reduce or adversely affect the license fees payable for public performances by terrestrial broadcast stations. Requires that such license fees for the public performance of musical works be independent of license fees paid for the public performance of sound recordings. Revises provisions relating to proceeds from the licensing of transmissions.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 4 February 2009

    Introduced

    Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 4 February 2009

    Introduced

    Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E202-203)

    Source: IntroReferral

  3. 4 February 2009

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  4. 4 February 2009

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  5. 10 March 2009

    Committee

    Committee Hearings Held.

    Source: Committee

  6. 13 May 2009

    Vote

    Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 21 - 9.

    Source: Committee

  7. 13 May 2009

    Committee

    Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

    Source: Committee

  8. 14 December 2010

    Calendars

    Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 405.

    Source: Calendars

  9. 14 December 2010

    Reported

    Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 111-680.

    Source: Committee

  10. 14 December 2010

    Reported

    Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 111-680.

    Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

6 official files

Reported in House (text)

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  • Reported in House (text)

    Reported in House · EN · 14 December 2010

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  • Reported in House (PDF)

    Reported in House · EN · 14 December 2010

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  • Reported to House with amendment(s)

    summary · EN · 14 December 2010

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  • Introduced in House (text)

    Introduced in House · EN · 4 February 2009

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  • Introduced in House (PDF)

    Introduced in House · EN · 4 February 2009

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  • Introduced in House

    summary · EN · 4 February 2009

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Sponsors

Showing 48 of 57 sponsors and actors.

Related records

Sources

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