[Federal Register: December 20, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 244)]
[Notices]
[Page 76375-76376]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20de06-128]
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Copyright Office
[Docket No. 2006-7]
Notice of Intent to Audit
AGENCY: Copyright Office, Library of Congress.
ACTION: Public notice.
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SUMMARY: The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress is announcing
receipt of a notice of intent to audit 2005 statements of account
concerning the eligible nonsubscription transmissions of sound
recordings made by Beethoven.com (``Beethoven'') under statutory
licenses.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tanya M. Sandros, Associate General
Counsel, Copyright GC/I&R, P.O. Box 70400, Southwest Station,
Washington, DC 20024-0977. Telephone: (202) 707-8380. Telefax: (202)
252-3423.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 106(6) of the Copyright Act, title
17 of the United States Code, gives the copyright owner of a sound
recording the right to perform a sound recording publicly by means of a
digital audio transmission, subject to certain limitations. Among these
limitations are certain exemptions and a statutory license which allows
for the public performance of sound recordings as part of ``eligible
nonsubscription transmissions.''\1\ 17 U.S.C. 114. A music service that
operates under the section 114 statutory license may also make any
necessary ephemeral reproductions to facilitate the digital
transmission of the sound recording under a second license set forth in
section 112(e) of the Copyright Act. Use of these licenses requires
that services make payments of royalty fees to and file reports of
sound recording performances with SoundExchange. SoundExchange is a
collecting rights entity that was designated by the Librarian of
Congress to collect statements of account and royalty fee payments from
services and distribute the royalty fees to copyright owners and
performers entitled to receive such royalties under sections 112(e) and
114(g) following a proceeding before a Copyright Arbitration Royalty
Panel (CARP)--the entity responsible for setting rates and terms for
use of the section 112 and section 114 licenses prior to the passage of
the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004 (CRDRA), Pub.
L. No. 108-419, 118 Stat. 2341 (2004). See 69 FR 5695 (February 6,
2004).
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\1\ An ``eligible nonsubscription transmission'' is a
noninteractive digital audio transmission which, as the name
implies, does not require a subscription for receiving the
transmission. The transmission must also be made as a part of a
service that provides audio programming consisting in whole or in
part of performances of sound recordings the primary purpose of
which is to provide audio or entertainment programming, but not to
sell, advertise, or promote particular goods or services. See 17
U.S.C. 114(j)(6).
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This Act, which the President signed into law on November 30, 2004,
and which became effective on May 31, 2005, amends the Copyright Act,
title 17 of the United States Code, by phasing out the CARP system and
replacing it with three permanent Copyright Royalty Judges (CRJs).
Consequently, the CRJs will carry out the functions heretofore
performed by the CARPs, including the adjustment of rates and terms for
certain statutory licenses such as the section 114 and 112 licenses.
However, section 6(b)(3) of the Act states in pertinent part:
[t]he rates and terms in effect under section 114(f)(2) or
112(e) . . . on December 30, 2004, for new subscription services
[and] eligible nonsubscription services . . . shall remain in effect
until the later of the first applicable effective date for successor
terms and rates . . . or such later date as the parties may agree or
the Copyright Royalty Judges may establish.
Successor rates and terms for these licenses have not yet been
established. Accordingly, the terms of the section 114 and 112
licenses, as currently constituted, are still in effect.
One of the current terms, set forth in Sec. 262.6 of title 37 of
the Code of Federal Regulations, states that SoundExchange, as the
Designated Agent, may conduct a single audit of a Licensee for the
purpose of verifying their royalty payments. As a preliminary matter,
the Designated Agent is required to submit a notice of its intent to
audit a Licensee with the Copyright Office and serve this notice on the
service to be audited. 37 CFR 262.6(c).
On December 23, 2005, SoundExchange filed with the Copyright Office
a notice of intent to audit Beethoven for the years 2002, 2003, and
2004. See 72 FR 624 (January 5, 2006). Subsequently, on November 22,
2006, SoundExchange filed a second notice of intent to audit
Beethoven,\2\
[[Page 76376]]
pursuant to Sec. 262.6(c), notifying the Copyright Office of its
intent to expand its current audit to cover 2005. Section 262.6(c)
requires the Copyright Office to publish a notice in the Federal
Register within thirty days of receipt of the filing announcing the
Designated Agent's intent to conduct an audit.
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\2\ A copy of the new Notice of Intent to Audit Beethoven is
posted on the Copyright Office Website at http://www.copyright.gov/carp/beethoven-notice.2006.pdf
.
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In accordance with this regulation, the Office is publishing
today's notice to fulfill this requirement with respect to the notice
of intent to audit filed by SoundExchange on November 22, 2006.
Dated: December 15, 2006
Tanya M. Sandros,
Associate General Counsel.
[FR Doc. E6-21746 Filed 12-19-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-30-S