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Simple English definitions for legal terms
compulsory license
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A quick definition of compulsory license:
Compulsory license is a special permission that allows people to use someone else's copyrighted work without asking for their permission. In return, they have to pay the owner some money called a royalty. This is mostly used for music, and if someone uses a song without permission, they can use Section 115 of the Copyright Act to protect themselves.
A more thorough explanation:
Compulsory license is a legal permission that allows someone to use copyrighted materials without getting the explicit permission of the copyright owner. In exchange for using the material, the person using it has to pay a royalty fee to the copyright owner.
For example, if a musician wants to use a song that is copyrighted by someone else, they can get a compulsory license to use it. This means they don't have to ask the copyright owner for permission, but they do have to pay a fee to use the song.
Another example is if a company wants to use a patented invention, they can get a compulsory license to use it. This means they don't have to ask the patent owner for permission, but they do have to pay a fee to use the invention.
Compulsory licenses are created by law and are meant to balance the rights of copyright owners with the needs of the public. They allow people to use copyrighted materials for certain purposes, such as education or research, without having to get permission from the copyright owner.