US Copyright Fees Are Rising; Labels Now Have A Window Before Higher Fees Hit
US Copyright Fees Are Rising; Labels Now Have A Window Before Higher Fees Hit
Music organizations spent much of 2026 challenging the U.S. Copyright Office’s (USCO) proposed fee increases, arguing that higher registration costs would disproportionately burden independent labels, artists, and songwriters. The campaign did not stop the USCO from submitting its final schedule to Congress in July, but it helped focus attention on the registration system’s affordability and may have tempered some proposed increases for musical works.