No Advance Permission Required: The Future of Compulsory Licensing

The recent dispute between Spotify and music publishers over terms in the § 115 compulsory mechanical license has led to calls for narrowing or eliminating certain types of compulsory licenses for digital content. When technology enables licensing to be done efficiently on a mass scale, are compulsory licenses still fit for purpose? Should we be reevaluating our need for compulsory licenses in the age of ubiquitous digital content, and if so, what should the new criteria be? This session will discuss an issue that could affect how many online services license copyrighted material in the future.