Courts Carve Out Boundaries for What Are Viable Legal Claims Under Federal Digital Music Statutes

There are two key federally created entities whose mission it is to issue licenses and collect royalties on behalf of rights holders for digital transmissions of music: SoundExchange and the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). This article reports on recent court rulings over whether the plaintiffs had viable causes of action related to SoundExchange and MLC royalty payments.

6 minute read January 01, 2026 at 12:11 AM
By
Stan Soocher
Courts Carve Out Boundaries for What Are Viable Legal Claims Under Federal Digital Music Statutes

There are two key federally created entities whose mission it is to issue licenses and collect royalties on behalf of rights holders for digital transmissions of music.

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