Piano Regulatory Frameworks & Compliance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which organization administers performance royalties for songwriters and publishers primarily in the United States?
- ASCAP (Correct answer)
- WTO
- RIAA
- FCC
Correct answer: ASCAP
ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is one of the main PROs that collects and distributes performance royalties in the US.
Question 2: Under US copyright law, a musical work enters the public domain after how many years following the author's death (for works created after 1978)?
- 50 years
- 70 years (Correct answer)
- 95 years
- 100 years
Correct answer: 70 years
In the US, works created after January 1, 1978 are protected for the life of the author plus 70 years.
Question 3: A pianist wants to record and sell a cover version of a copyrighted song. What type of license is required?
- Synchronization license
- Mechanical license (Correct answer)
- Master license
- Public performance license
Correct answer: Mechanical license
A mechanical license is required to reproduce and distribute a copyrighted composition in a recorded format.
Question 4: Which US law specifically governs digital audio recordings and imposes royalties on digital recording devices?
- Copyright Act of 1976
- Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 (Correct answer)
- Digital Millennium Copyright Act
- Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act
Correct answer: Audio Home Recording Act of 1992
The Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 (AHRA) requires royalties on digital recording devices and media sold in the US.
Question 5: When a pianist performs copyrighted music in a restaurant, which party is primarily responsible for obtaining the performance license?
- The pianist
- The composer
- The venue owner (Correct answer)
- The PRO directly
Correct answer: The venue owner
The venue (restaurant) is responsible for obtaining a blanket performance license from PROs like ASCAP or BMI.
Question 6: Which DMCA provision protects online service providers from copyright infringement liability if they promptly remove infringing content upon notice?
- Section 106
- Safe Harbor (Section 512) (Correct answer)
- Section 115
- Fair Use Doctrine
Correct answer: Safe Harbor (Section 512)
Section 512 of the DMCA provides Safe Harbor protection to OSPs that follow proper takedown procedures.
Question 7: What is the standard statutory mechanical royalty rate set by the Copyright Royalty Board for physical recordings per song?
- 5.1 cents
- 7.8 cents
- 9.1 cents (Correct answer)
- 12.5 cents
Correct answer: 9.1 cents
The current statutory mechanical rate is 9.1 cents per copy for songs five minutes or under.
Piano Regulatory Frameworks & Compliance 2
Which organization administers performance royalties for songwriters and publishers primarily in the United States?