Bill · H.R. 4017· House(119-HR-4017)
American Royalties Too Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 6/17/2025
- Last activity
- 6/17/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Jerrold Nadler
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "American Royalties Too Act of 2025" seeks to amend title 17 of the United States Code to establish a resale royalty for visual artists. This bill ensures that authors of visual art are entitled to a royalty when their work is resold for $5,000 or more by an art market professional. The royalty is calculated as either 5 percent of the sale price or a capped amount that adjusts for inflation. Designated collecting societies would manage the collection and distribution of these funds to artists or their successors. The bill also establishes legal remedies for failure to pay and requires a study on the Act's implementation after five years.
Yes
Does this make patent and copyright rules fairer?+7
The bill enhances intellectual property rights by guaranteeing resale royalties for visual artists.
Does this give the federal government more power?+2
The bill expands federal oversight through the Register of Copyrights to manage artist royalties.
The opposite
Would business owners be better off under this?-4
Art market professionals face new financial obligations and potential legal liabilities under the act.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Financial Benefits for Artists: Authors of visual art are entitled to a royalty for the commercial resale of their work when the price is $5,000 or more (Section 2(b)).
-
Protection for Artist Successors: If an artist passes away, the right to collect resale royalties can be passed to heirs, such as a widow, widower, children, or grandchildren (Section 2(e)(3)).
-
Inflation Protection: The cap on the royalty amount is adjusted annually based on the cost-of-living adjustment to ensure the value remains relevant over time (Section 2(d)(2)).
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Security for Unclaimed Funds: If an author or successor cannot be located, their royalties are held in an interest-bearing escrow account until they are found (Section 2(e)(4)(A)(i)).
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Support for U.S. Artists: If royalties remain unclaimed for three years, the funds are transferred to the Copyright Office to support programs and educational initiatives for artists in the United States (Section 2(e)(4)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Administrative Burdens for Professionals: Art market professionals are required to pay the calculated resale royalty to designated collecting societies within 90 days of a sale (Section 2(e)(1)).
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Legal Risks for Professionals and Societies: Art market professionals can be sued for the royalty amount plus attorney's fees, and collecting societies can be sued for up to three times the royalty amount plus attorney's fees if they fail to distribute payments correctly (Section 2(f)(1)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Education And Technology
- Improves Intellectual Property Fairness+7
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners-4
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+2
- 1/7/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/17/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Judy ChuDemocrat · California
Deborah RossDemocrat · North Carolina