To make technical amendments to certain provisions of title 17, United States Code.
Public Law 105-80 · H.R. 672 · 105th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 13, 1997 · Commerce
Sponsor: Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC-6)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Amends the Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1994 and various Federal copyright provisions to make technical and conforming amendments with respect to: (1) licensing and royalty fees charged for the retransmission for home viewing of superstation and network station transmissions; (2) the copyrighting of restored works; (3) licenses for nonexempt subscription transmissions; (4) royalties payable under compulsory licenses; (5) negotiated licenses for jukeboxes; (6) copyright registration and infringement actions; and (7) digital audio recording devices and media.
(Sec. 7) Authorizes the Register of Copyrights, after conducting a study, to increase the copyright fees to be paid to the Copyright Office for 1997 and thereafter to cover Office costs for the registration of claims, the recording of documents, and the provision of services. Requires the Register, for any such increase, to prepare a proposed fee schedule and submit such schedule and an economic analysis to the Congress. Requires a 120-day waiting period after submission of such schedule and analysis before its implementation.
(Sec. 8) Authorizes the Librarian of Congress, upon the recommendation of the Register of Copyrights, to: (1) authorize the distribution of those royalty fees collected that the Librarian has found to be not subject to controversy; and (2) accept or reject royalty claims on the basis of timeliness or the failure to establish the basis for a claim. Directs the Librarian to reimburse the arbitrators presiding in royalty distribution proceedings, considering such costs to be reasonable costs incurred by the Library and the Office. Requires the reasonable costs incurred by the Librarian and the Office in ratemaking proceedings to be borne by the parties to the proceedings as directed by the arbitration panels.
(Sec. 11) Provides that the distribution before January 1, 1978, of a phonorecord shall not for any purpose constitute a publication of the musical work embodied therein.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.
- Nov 13, 1997Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-80.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 5, 1997PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Nov 4, 1997Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Coble moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments.
- Oct 30, 1997FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Amendment SP 1541 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Judiciary Committee
- Mar 19, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
- Mar 18, 1997FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by recorded vote (2/3 required): 424 - 2 (Roll no. 53).House roll call 53
- FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Coble objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Coble moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Mar 17, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- Mar 12, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
- Mar 5, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Feb 11, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.