[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 72 (Monday, April 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18160-18161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07648]


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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Copyright Royalty Board

[Docket No. 17-CRB-0011-SD (2015)]


Distribution of 2015 Satellite Royalty Funds

AGENCY: Copyright Royalty Board, Library of Congress.

ACTION: Notice requesting comments.

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[[Page 18161]]

SUMMARY: The Copyright Royalty Judges solicit comments on a motion of 
Allocation Phase claimants for partial distribution of 2015 satellite 
royalty funds.

DATES: Comments are due on or before May 17, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Interested claimants must submit comments to only one of the 
following addresses. Unless responding by email or online, claimants 
must submit an original, five paper copies, and an electronic version 
on a CD.
    Email: [email protected]; or
    U.S. mail: Copyright Royalty Board, P.O. Box 70977, Washington, DC 
20024-0977; or
    Overnight service (only USPS Express Mail is acceptable): Copyright 
Royalty Board, P.O. Box 70977, Washington, DC 20024-0977; or
    Commercial courier: Address package to: Copyright Royalty Board, 
Library of Congress, James Madison Memorial Building, LM-403, 101 
Independence Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20559-6000. Deliver to: 
Congressional Courier Acceptance Site, 2nd Street NE. and D Street NE., 
Washington, DC; or
    Hand delivery: Library of Congress, James Madison Memorial 
Building, LM-401, 101 Independence Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20559-
6000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anita Blaine, CRB Program Specialist, 
by telephone at (202) 707-7658 or email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Each year satellite systems must submit 
royalty payments to the Register of Copyrights as required by the 
statutory license set forth in section 119 of the Copyright Act for the 
retransmission to satellite subscribers of over-the-air television 
broadcast signals. See 17 U.S.C. 119(b). The Copyright Royalty Judges 
(Judges) oversee distribution of royalties to copyright owners whose 
works were included in a qualifying transmission and who timely filed a 
claim for royalties.
    Allocation of the royalties collected occurs in one of two ways. In 
the first instance, the Judges may authorize distribution in accordance 
with a negotiated settlement among all claiming parties. 17 U.S.C. 
119(b)(5)(A), 801(b)(3)(A). If all claimants do not reach an agreement 
with respect to the royalties, the Judges must conduct a proceeding to 
determine the distribution of any royalties that remain in controversy. 
17 U.S.C. 119(b)(5)(B), 801(b)(3)(B). Alternatively, the Judges may, on 
motion of claimants and on notice to all interested parties, authorize 
a partial distribution of royalties, reserving on deposit sufficient 
funds to resolve identified disputes. 17 U.S.C. 119(b)(5)(C), 
801(b)(3)(C).
    On February 17, 2017, representatives of all the Allocation Phase 
claimant categories (formerly ``Phase I'') \1\ filed with the Judges a 
motion requesting a partial distribution amounting to 60% of the 2015 
satellite royalty funds pursuant to section 801(b)(3)(C) of the 
Copyright Act. 17 U.S.C. 801(b)(3)(C). That section requires that, 
before ruling on the motion, the Judges publish a notice in the Federal 
Register seeking responses to the motion for partial distribution to 
ascertain whether any claimant entitled to receive the subject 
royalties has a reasonable objection to the requested distribution. 
Accordingly, this notice seeks comments from interested claimants on 
whether any reasonable objection exists that would preclude the 
distribution of 60% of the 2015 satellite royalty funds to the 
Allocation Phase Claimants. Parties objecting to the proposed partial 
distribution must advise the Judges of the existence and extent of all 
their objections by the end of the comment period. The Judges will not 
consider any objections with respect to the partial distribution motion 
that come to their attention after the close of the comment period.
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    \1\ The ``Allocation Phase Claimants'' are Program Suppliers, 
Joint Sports Claimants, Broadcaster Claimants Group, Music Claimants 
(represented by American Society of Composers, Authors and 
Publishers, Broadcast Music, Inc., and SESAC, Inc.), and Devotional 
Claimants.
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    The Motion of the Allocation Phase Claimants is posted on the 
Copyright Royalty Board Web site at http://www.loc.gov/crb.

     Dated: April 11, 2017.
Suzanne M. Barnett,
Chief U.S. Copyright Royalty Judge.
[FR Doc. 2017-07648 Filed 4-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 1410-72-P