Copyright Royalty Board

What Copyright Royalty Board does

The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) is a U.S. federal government agency established in 2004 under the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act (CRDRA) and operating within the Library of Congress. It functions as a three-judge quasi-judicial body that determines and adjusts statutory copyright royalty rates and terms, oversees distribution of royalties deposited with the U.S. Copyright Office by statutory licensees, and adjudicates distribution controversies. The CRB's jurisdiction covers statutory licenses for digital audio transmissions (webcasting, SDARS, subscription services), cable and satellite retransmission, mechanical reproduction of musical works (phonorecords), and noncommercial educational broadcasting. Rate determinations are set on staggered five-year cycles, with the current cycle covering 2026-2030 across proceedings designated Web VI, SDARS IV, Phonorecords V, and Public Broadcasting V.

The CRB's primary technology platform is eCRB (Electronic Copyright Royalty Board), an online filing and case management system that went live on June 17, 2017, and transitioned to mandatory all-electronic filing effective January 1, 2018. eCRB enables attorneys, pro se participants, and claimants to electronically submit litigation documents, claims, audit notices, comments, and hearing exhibits, and provides public access for browsing case progress, studying CRB precedent, and researching copyright royalty issues. Other services include Rate Proceedings, Distribution Proceedings, Royalty Claims processing (cable, satellite, and Digital Audio Recording Technology royalties), and Rulemakings codified in Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

The CRB does not operate a commercial business model. It is funded through the federal appropriations process and charges only a nominal $150 filing fee per Petition to Participate in rate determination or distribution proceedings. The three judges are appointed by the Librarian of Congress to staggered six-year terms, with statutory requirements mandating specific expertise in copyright law, economics, and judicial/quasi-judicial experience. As of December 2025, the bench consists of Interim Chief Judge Trevor Jefferson, Judge David R. Strickler (economics), and Judge Steve Ruwe (copyright). The CRB communicates through its crb.gov website, the eCRB system, GovDelivery email subscriptions, and Federal Register publications.

Name

Copyright Royalty Board

Legal name

Copyright Royalty Board

Website

https://crb.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Copyright Royalty Board is a U.S. federal quasi-judicial agency within the Library of Congress that determines statutory copyright royalty rates and adjudicates royalty distribution disputes for digital audio, cable/satellite retransmission, mechanical reproduction, and noncommercial broadcasting licenses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Copyright Royalty Adjudication

akta.pro primary industry

Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Royalty Accounting & Payment Services (Statements, Audits, Payee Management) (MPAIABAL), Music & Audio Rights for Broadcast (Sync/Master/Library) (MPABANAF)

Keywords

• Copyright royalty rates
• Statutory licensing
• Royalty distribution
• Copyright adjudication
• Digital audio royalties

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Copyright Royalty Board determines and adjusts royalty rates and terms applicable to statutory copyright licenses covering digital audio transmissions (webcasting, satellite radio, subscription services), cable and satellite retransmissions, mechanical reproduction of musical works, and noncommercial broadcasting. It oversees distribution of royalties deposited with the Copyright Office by statutory licensees and adjudicates controversies relating to those distributions through quasi-judicial proceedings conducted under the eCRB electronic filing system.

Product overview

The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) is a U.S. government agency within the Library of Congress that oversees statutory copyright licenses. Rather than a commercial product company, CRB operates several interconnected services: the eCRB electronic filing system serves as the primary platform for all case management and document filing; Rate Proceedings handle determination of royalty rates for digital performances, satellite transmissions, and physical phonorecords; Distribution Proceedings manage allocation and distribution of collected royalties to copyright owners; Royalty Claims processing covers cable, satellite, and digital audio recording technology royalties; and Rulemakings establish regulatory frameworks. These services work together within the eCRB platform to enable qualified parties to use copyrighted works under statutory licenses without obtaining separate licenses from each copyright owner.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• eCRB: Online filing and case management system for CRB proceedings, launched June 17, 2017

Products and services

• eCRB Electronic Filing and Case Management System Online filing and case management system for CRB proceedings that allows attorneys, pro se participants, and claimants to file documents electronically and manage proceedings online. Enables public access to browse case records and research copyright royalty issues.
• Rate Proceedings Proceedings to determine and adjust royalty rates and terms applicable to statutory copyright licenses, including webcasting, satellite radio, subscription services, and business establishments. Rates are set for multi-year periods (e.g., 2026-2030 for Web VI, SDARS IV, Phonorecords V, Public Broadcasting V).
• Distribution Proceedings Proceedings to oversee distribution of royalties deposited with the Copyright Office by statutory licensees and adjudicate controversies relating to distributions of those royalties to copyright owners.
• Royalty Claims System for filing claims to royalty fees collected under compulsory licenses, including cable, satellite, and DART (Digital Audio Recording Technology) royalty claims.
• Rulemakings Regulatory proceedings to establish or amend CRB regulations codified in Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rates determined for 5-year periods (2026-2030 for Web VI, SDARS IV, Phonorecords V, Public Broadcasting V)

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• BMI: BMI is a leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization that collects and distributes performance royalties for musical works. It operates in the music rights ecosystem that CRB regulates, serving songwriters, composers, and publishers who also participate in CRB statutory license proceedings.
• SoundExchange: SoundExchange is the designated collection agent that collects and distributes digital performance royalties for sound recordings under the statutory licenses whose rates the CRB sets (non-interactive streaming, SDARS, webcasting). It is the operational counterpart to CRB's rate-setting for sound recording performance royalties.
• ASCAP: ASCAP is one of the largest U.S. Performing Rights Organizations, licensing public performance rights for musical works. While CRB sets statutory license rates, ASCAP operates in the parallel voluntary licensing market for the same underlying copyright holders, making it an ecosystem incumbent alongside CRB.
• Harry Fox Agency (HFA): HFA historically served as the primary mechanical licensing agent in the U.S. for the Section 115 compulsory license whose rates the CRB determines. It operates in the mechanical licensing space that the CRB regulates and that the MLC now also administers for the blanket license.
• The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC): The MLC is the blanket music license administrator designated under the Music Modernization Act to administer the Section 115 mechanical license whose royalty rates the CRB sets. MLC sits in the operational layer directly downstream of CRB's rate-setting function for mechanical royalties.
• SESAC: SESAC is a smaller U.S. Performing Rights Organization handling public performance licensing for musical works. Like ASCAP and BMI, SESAC operates alongside the CRB's statutory framework in the music rights ecosystem, serving as a private counterpart for rights that CRB regulates under statutory licenses.

Regional players

• UK Copyright Tribunal: The UK Copyright Tribunal is a specialized body within the U.K. intellectual property framework that hears disputes over copyright licensing terms and royalty rates between copyright owners and licensing bodies. It performs a structurally analogous role to the CRB in a different jurisdiction.
• Copyright Board of Canada: The Copyright Board of Canada is the Canadian federal body that sets royalty rates for statutory licenses and certifies tariffs proposed by collective societies. It is the closest international functional analog to the U.S. CRB, performing similar rate-setting and royalty distribution oversight under Canadian copyright law.

Others

• CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers): CISAC is the international umbrella organization for PROs and collective management organizations globally. While the CRB is a regulator rather than a collective manager, CISAC's member societies interact with the U.S. statutory framework CRB administers and represent the global collective rights ecosystem.
• U.S. Copyright Office: The U.S. Copyright Office is the companion federal agency within the Library of Congress that handles copyright registration, records, and policy. The CRB works directly with the Copyright Office, which collects statutory license fees and deposits royalties for CRB-adjudicated distribution. Both operate under Title 17 of the U.S. Code.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Copyright Royalty Board