In this article, the author analyzes the institute of compulsory licensing as applied to the field of copyright law. The author explores the origins of this institute, paying attention to its relation to other remunerative mechanisms in the sphere of copyright law. The possibility and expediency of applying the mechanism of compulsory licensing in copyright law are examined using foreign experience. As a result, the author concludes about the obstacles hindering the implementation of this institute, due to its weak compatibility with the nature of copyright, and identifies a number of criteria to be observed to reconcile approaches or minimize contradictions.