[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1700-1701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-581]


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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Copyright Office

[Docket No. 2001-1 CARP DSTRA2]


Adjustment of Rates and Terms for the Digital Performance of 
Sound Recordings

AGENCY: Copyright Office, Library of Congress.

ACTION: Notice of negotiation period and request for notification.

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SUMMARY: The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress is announcing 
the 6-month negotiation period for the adjustment of royalty rates and 
terms for the public performance of copyrighted sound recordings by 
preexisting subscription services and preexisting satellite digital 
audio radio services. The Office is also requesting those parties 
participating in the negotiations to so notify the Office.

DATES: The 6-month negotiation period commences on January 9, 2001. 
Notification of participation in the negotiation period is due by 
January 31, 2001.

ADDRESSES: An original and five copies of notification of participation 
in the settlement negotiations may be hand delivered to: Office of the 
General Counsel, Copyright Office, James Madison Memorial Building, 
Room LM-403, First and Independence Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20559-
6000; or mailed to: Copyright Arbitration Royalty

[[Page 1701]]

Panel (CARP), P.O. Box 70977, Southwest Station, Washington, DC 20024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David O. Carson, General Counsel, or 
Tanya M. Sandros, Senior Attorney, Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel, 
P.O. Box 70977, Southwest Station, Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: 
(202) 707-8380. Telefax: (202) 252-3423.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since 1995, copyright owners of sound 
recordings have enjoyed an exclusive right to perform publicly their 
copyrighted works by means of a digital audio transmission, subject to 
certain limitations. 17 U.S.C. 106(6). Among the initial limitations 
placed on the performance of a sound recording was the creation of a 
statutory license for performances made by nonexempt, noninteractive, 
digital subscription services. 17 U.S.C. 114 (1995).
    After receipt of a petition from the Recording Industry Association 
of America (``RIAA''), the Librarian of Congress conducted a CARP 
proceeding to establish rates and terms for the statutory license. The 
eligible subscription services that participated in that proceeding 
were Digital Cable Radio Associates, Digital Music Express, Inc. and 
Muzak, L.P. The Librarian issued a final determination of rates and 
terms, which was appealed by the RIAA. 63 FR 25394 (May 8, 1998). The 
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed the 
rates, but remanded the matter of certain payment terms to the Library 
for further proceedings. Recording Industry Ass'n of America v. 
Librarian of Congress, 176 F.3d 528 (D.C. Cir. 1999). The remand has 
yet to be resolved.
    In 1998, as part of the amendments made by the Digital Millennium 
Copyright Act (``DMCA''), the section 114 statutory license was 
expanded, and a new schedule for rate adjustment proceedings was 
established. For subscription services in existence prior to passage of 
the DMCA (defined as ``pre-existing subscription services''), and for 
satellite digital audio radio services in existence prior to passage of 
the DMCA (defined as ``pre-existing satellite digital audio radio 
services''), the Librarian of Congress is required to announce a 6-
month negotiation period in the first week of January 2001 for purposes 
of promoting settlement of the terms and rates of the statutory 
license. 17 U.S.C. 114(f)(1)(C)(i)(II). This notice fulfills that 
requirement.

Announcement of Negotiation Period

    Pursuant to section 114(f)(1)(C)(i), the Librarian of Congress is 
announcing a 6-month negotiation period for the settlement of rates and 
terms for the statutory license for preexisting subscription services 
and preexisting satellite digital audio radio services. If the 6-month 
negotiation period fails to yield a full settlement, interested parties 
must petition the Librarian for a CARP proceeding during the period 
commencing on July 1, 2001, and ending August 29, 2001. 17 U.S.C. 
114(f)(1)(C)(ii)(II).

Request for Notification

    In order to facilitate productive settlement discussions during the 
negotiation period, and to facilitate complete settlement, see 65 FR 
10564 (February 20, 2000), it is useful to create a list of parties 
that wish to participate in the negotiation period. The list should be 
in a centralized location and available to the public so that 
interested parties may identify each other and begin their settlement 
discussions. Consequently, the Library is requesting that those parties 
wishing to participate in the 6-month negotiation period file 
notification with the Copyright Office by January 31, 2000.
    The list compiled by the Copyright Office is solely for 
informational purposes and is on a voluntary basis. In other words, 
parties that wish to participate in the negotiation period are not 
required to file notification and may file notification with the Office 
at any time after the January 31, 2001, deadline up until the end of 
the negotiation period. The notification is not a Notice of Intent to 
Participate in a CARP proceeding, because, as provided in 17 U.S.C. 
114(f)(1)(B), the Library cannot begin a CARP proceeding until 
petitioned to do so after the end of the negotiation period. If the 
Library receives such a petition, it will call for Notices of Intent to 
Participate at a later date.

    Dated: January 4, 2001.
David O. Carson,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 01-581 Filed 1-8-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-33-P