Bill > S253

This bill, the American Music Fairness Act, amends the United States Copyright Code to provide fair treatment of radio stations and artists for the use of sound recordings. The key provisions include: 1. Applying the performance right to audio transmissions generally, including terrestrial (non-digital) broadcasts, rather than just digital transmissions. 2. Establishing specific royalty rates for small and public broadcasting stations based on their annual revenue, with the goal of providing protection for these broadcasters. 3. Requiring the Copyright Royalty Judges to commence royalty rate proceedings as soon as practicable and repeat them every 5 years. 4. Directing the Copyright Royalty Judges to consider the value of promotion and other revenue streams for sound recording copyright owners when determining royalty rates for terrestrial broadcast radio stations. 5. Ensuring that the changes do not adversely affect the public performance rights or royalties payable to songwriters and musical work copyright owners.