Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel
Encyclopedia
The Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP) system is a part of the United States Congress
involved in making decisions regarding copyright royalties.
, and is sanctioned to appoint and organize copyright
arbitration
royalty
panels. The primary purpose of the panel is to make decisions involving the adjustment of copyright royalty rates as well as the term
s and payment
s of royalties that fall under copyright law.
When determining the reasonable royalty rates, the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel attempts to make the creative works accessible to the public, to grant the copyright holder a fair reward for the work, and to minimize any disruptive effects the industries involved or associated with the copyright holder and user. Additionally, arbitrary decisions are made concerning the adjustment of the copyright royalty rates by this group.
, also known as CRJs, establish the conditions and rates for (compulsory) copyright statutory licenses, and govern the distribution system of royalties collected by the Copyright office on these statutory licenses. 17 U.S.C. Section 801.
The CRJ appointees will serve for a full-time six-year term
with the possibility for reappointment. In order to avoid replacing all three judges at the same time, the first three judges appointed will serve staggered terms of two, four, and six years. 17 U.S.C. Section 802.
. This is a dubious improvement, as carp
are environmentally destructive fish in areas into which they have been artificially introduced (which critics in the internet radio
community consider an appropriate analogy).
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
involved in making decisions regarding copyright royalties.
Panel Function
The system itself was created upon the suggestion of the Register of CopyrightsCopyright registration
The purpose of copyright registration is to place on record a verifiable account of the date and content of the work in question, so that in the event of a legal claim, or case of infringement or plagiarism, the copyright owner can produce a copy of the work from an official government...
, and is sanctioned to appoint and organize copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
royalty
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
panels. The primary purpose of the panel is to make decisions involving the adjustment of copyright royalty rates as well as the term
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
s and payment
Payment
A payment is the transfer of wealth from one party to another. A payment is usually made in exchange for the provision of goods, services or both, or to fulfill a legal obligation....
s of royalties that fall under copyright law.
When determining the reasonable royalty rates, the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel attempts to make the creative works accessible to the public, to grant the copyright holder a fair reward for the work, and to minimize any disruptive effects the industries involved or associated with the copyright holder and user. Additionally, arbitrary decisions are made concerning the adjustment of the copyright royalty rates by this group.
Distribution Reform Act of 2004
The CARP was phased out by the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004, which amended chapter 8 of the U.S. Copyright Act in its entirety. Pub. L. No. 108-419, 118 Stat. 2341. Under the new system, three Copyright Royalty JudgesCopyright Royalty Board
The Copyright Royalty Board is a U.S. system of three Copyright Royalty Judges who determine rates and terms for copyright statutory licenses and make determinations on distribution of statutory license royalties collected by the United States Copyright Office of the Library of Congress...
, also known as CRJs, establish the conditions and rates for (compulsory) copyright statutory licenses, and govern the distribution system of royalties collected by the Copyright office on these statutory licenses. 17 U.S.C. Section 801.
The CRJ appointees will serve for a full-time six-year term
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
with the possibility for reappointment. In order to avoid replacing all three judges at the same time, the first three judges appointed will serve staggered terms of two, four, and six years. 17 U.S.C. Section 802.
Trivia
The title was permuted because "Copyright Royalty Arbitration Panel" would yield an unflattering acronym of "CRAP", a slang term for fecesFeces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
. This is a dubious improvement, as carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
are environmentally destructive fish in areas into which they have been artificially introduced (which critics in the internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
community consider an appropriate analogy).