What is the compulsory mechanical license?

What is the compulsory mechanical license?

• A. A statutory right allowing anyone to record and release a faithful cover of a song without the rights holder's permission, provided they pay the required royalty and credit the original songwriter.
• B. A contract requiring permission before any recording.
• C. A license to sample without permission.
• D. A license allowing only live performances.

Answer: (A)

The compulsory mechanical license is a statutory right under U.S. copyright law that lets someone reproduce and distribute a song in a new recording without getting the rights holder’s explicit permission, as long as they pay the statutory mechanical royalties and give proper credit to the songwriter. It applies once a musical work has been released publicly, and it covers making faithful cover recordings (phonorecords and digital phonorecords). It’s not a contract—you don’t need the rights holder’s consent if you qualify—so long as you file the required notice and pay the royalties. It does not authorize sampling, nor does it cover live performances; those require different licenses.

The compulsory mechanical license is a statutory right under U.S. copyright law that lets someone reproduce and distribute a song in a new recording without getting the rights holder’s explicit permission, as long as they pay the statutory mechanical royalties and give proper credit to the songwriter. It applies once a musical work has been released publicly, and it covers making faithful cover recordings (phonorecords and digital phonorecords). It’s not a contract—you don’t need the rights holder’s consent if you qualify—so long as you file the required notice and pay the royalties. It does not authorize sampling, nor does it cover live performances; those require different licenses.