[Federal Register: January 30, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 20)]
[Notices]
[Page 5597]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30ja08-114]
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Copyright Royalty Board
Distribution of 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005
Satellite Royalty Funds
AGENCY: Copyright Royalty Board, Library of Congress.
ACTION: Request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Copyright Royalty Judges are requesting comments as to the
existence of controversies at Phase I and Phase II for distribution of
the 1999 through 2005 royalty funds collected under the satellite
carrier statutory license.
DATES: Comments are due on or before February 29, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent electronically to crb@loc.gov. In the
alternative, send an original, five copies, and an electronic copy on a
CD either by mail or hand delivery. Please do not use multiple means of
transmission. Comments may not be delivered by an overnight delivery
service other than the U.S. Postal Service Express Mail. If by mail
(including overnight delivery), comments must be addressed to:
Copyright Royalty Board, P.O. Box 70977, Washington, DC 20024-0977. If
hand delivered by a private party, comments must be brought to the
Library of Congress, James Madison Memorial Building, LM-401, 101
Independence Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20559-6000. If delivered by a
commercial courier, comments must be delivered to the Congressional
Courier Acceptance Site located at 2nd and D Street, NE., Washington,
DC. The envelope must be addressed to: Copyright Royalty Board, Library
of Congress, James Madison Memorial Building, LM-403, 101 Independence
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20559-6000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Strasser, Senior Attorney, or
Gina Giuffreda, Attorney Advisor, by telephone at (202) 707-7658 or e-
mail at crb@loc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Each year, semiannually, satellite carriers must submit royalty
payments to the Copyright Office as required by the satellite carrier
statutory license for the privilege of retransmitting over-the-air
television broadcast stations. 17 U.S.C. 119. These royalties are then
distributed to copyright owners whose works were included in such
retransmissions and who timely file a claim for royalties. Distribution
of the royalties for each calendar year are conducted by the Copyright
Royalty Judges in two phases. At Phase I, the royalties are divided
among the representatives of the major categories of copyrightable
content (movies, sports programming, music, etc.) requesting the
distribution. At Phase II, the royalties are divided among the various
copyright owners within each category.
Final distribution of royalties in any given royalty year may be
made by agreement of all the copyright owners making claim to the
funds. If, however, there is a controversy as to the proper
distribution, either at Phase I or Phase II, the Copyright Royalty
Judges are required to conduct a proceeding under chapter 8 of the
Copyright Act. See 17 U.S.C. 119(b)(4)(B).
Request for Comments
In order to determine whether further proceedings are necessary for
the distribution of the 1999-2005 satellite royalty funds, the
Copyright Royalty Judges request that interested copyright claimants
identify the existence of both Phase I and Phase II controversies.
Claimants should identify the specific royalty years in which they have
a controversy, whether the controversy is at Phase I and/or Phase II,
and the approximate extent of the controversy. In addition, the Judges
seek comment as to the advisability of consolidating multiple royalty
years into a single distribution proceeding and what, if any, royalty
years should be consolidated.
Dated: January 24, 2008.
James Scott Sledge,
Chief, Copyright Royalty Judge.
[FR Doc. E8-1663 Filed 1-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-72-P