Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 2319A: Unauthorized fixation of and trafficking in sound recordings and music videos of live musical performances

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

Federal law prohibits unauthorized recording, reproduction, transmission, distribution, or sale of live musical performances. Violations subject to forfeiture, seizure, and restitution remedies.

Read the full statutory text
fixes the sounds or sounds and images of a live musical performance in a copy or phonorecord, or reproduces copies or phonorecords of such a performance from an unauthorized fixation; transmits or otherwise communicates to the public the sounds or sounds and images of a live musical performance; or distributes or offers to distribute, sells or offers to sell, rents or offers to rent, or traffics in any copy or phonorecord fixed as described in paragraph (1), regardless of whether the fixations occurred in the United States; Forfeiture, destruction, and restitution relating to this section shall be subject to section 2323, to the extent provided in that section, in addition to any other similar remedies provided by law. If copies or phonorecords of sounds or sounds and images of a live musical performance are fixed outside of the United States without the consent of the performer or performers involved, such copies or phonorecords are subject to seizure and forfeiture in the United States in the same manner as property imported in violation of the customs laws. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue regulations by which any performer may, upon payment of a specified fee, be entitled to notification by United States Customs and Border Protection of the importation of copies or phonorecords that appear to consist of unauthorized fixations of the sounds or sounds and images of a live musical performance. During preparation of the presentence report pursuant to Rule 32(c) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, victims of the offense shall be permitted to submit, and the probation officer shall receive, a victim impact statement that identifies the victim of the offense and the extent and scope of the injury and loss suffered by the victim, including the estimated economic impact of the offense on that victim. producers and sellers of legitimate works affected by conduct involved in the offense; holders of intellectual property rights in such works; and the legal representatives of such producers, sellers, and holders. the terms “copy”, “fixed”, “musical work”, “phonorecord”, “reproduce”, “sound recordings”, and “transmit” mean those terms within the meaning of title 17; and the term “traffic” has the same meaning as in section 2320(e) 1 of this title. 1 See References in Text note below. This section shall apply to any Act or Acts that occur on or after the date of the enactment of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.

Verify at the official source: Federal legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.