[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 10, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14420-14421]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-07033]


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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Copyright Royalty Board

[Docket No. CONSOLIDATED 16-CRB-0009-CD (2014-17)]


Distribution of Cable Royalty Funds

AGENCY: Copyright Royalty Board, Library of Congress.

ACTION: Notice requesting comments.

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SUMMARY: The Copyright Royalty Judges solicit comments on a motion for 
partial distribution of 2017 cable royalty funds.

DATES: Comments are due on or before May 10, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Interested claimants must submit timely comments, identified 
by CONSOLIDATED docket number 16-CRB-0009-CD (2014-17), by only one of 
the following means.
    CRB's online electronic filing application: Submit comments online 
in eCRB at https://app.crb.gov/.
    U.S. mail 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.
    Instructions: Unless submitting online, commenters must submit an 
original, two paper copies, and an electronic version on a CD. All 
submissions must include a reference to the CRB and this docket number. 
All submissions will be posted without change to eCRB at https://app.crb.gov/ including any personal information provided.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read submitted background 
documents or comments, go to eCRB, the Copyright

[[Page 14421]]

Royalty Board's online electronic filing and case management system, at 
https://app.crb.gov/ and search for CONSOLIDATED docket number 16-CRB-
0009-CD (2014-17).

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Each year cable systems must submit royalty 
payments to the Register of Copyrights as required by the statutory 
license detailed in section 111 of the Copyright Act for the 
retransmission to cable subscribers of over-the-air television and 
radio broadcast signals. See 17 U.S.C. 111(d). The Copyright Royalty 
Judges (Judges) oversee distribution of royalties to copyright owners 
whose works were included in a qualifying transmission and who file a 
timely 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. 111(d)(4)(A). If all claimants do not reach 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. 111(d)(4)(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. 111(d)(4)(C), 801(b)(3)(C).
    On March 15, 2019, representatives of Allocation Phase claimants 
\1\ filed with the Judges a motion pursuant to section 801(b)(3)(C) of 
the Copyright Act requesting a partial distribution amounting to 40% of 
the 2017 cable royalty funds on deposit. 17 U.S.C. 801(b)(3)(C). That 
statutory 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.
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    \1\ The representatives are Program Suppliers; Joint Sports 
Claimants; Public Television Claimants; National Association of 
Broadcasters; American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers; 
Broadcast Music, Inc.; SESAC, Inc.; Canadian Claimants Group; 
Devotional Claimants; and National Public Radio, which represent 
traditionally recognized claimant categories. The Judges have not 
and do not by this notice determine the universe of claimant 
categories for 2017 cable retransmission royalties.
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    Accordingly, this Notice seeks comments from interested claimants 
on whether any reasonable objection exists that would preclude the 
distribution of 40% of the 2017 cable royalty funds to the requesting 
claimant representatives. Parties objecting to the partial distribution 
must advise the Judges of the existence and extent of all objections by 
the end of the comment period. The Judges will not consider any 
objections with respect to the partial distribution that come to their 
attention after the close of the comment period.
    Members of the public may read the motion by accessing the 
Copyright Royalty Board's electronic filing and case management system 
at https://app.crb.gov/ and searching for CONSOLIDATED docket number 
16-CRB-0009-CD (2014-17).

    Dated: April 4, 2019.
Jesse M. Feder,
Chief U.S. Copyright Royalty Judge.
[FR Doc. 2019-07033 Filed 4-9-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 1410-72-P