[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 16, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33979-33980]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-15099]


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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Copyright Royalty Board

[Docket No. 16-CRB-0010-SD (2014-17)]


Distribution of Satellite 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 of 
Allocation Phase claimants for partial distribution of 2016 and 2017 
satellite royalty funds.

DATES: Comments are due on or before August 15, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Interested claimants must submit timely comments, identified 
by docket number 16-CRB-0010-SD (2014-17), by only one of the following 
means:
    CRB's online electronic filing application: Submit comments online 
in the Copyright Royalty Board's electronic filing system, eCRB, at 
https://app.crb.gov/; or
    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

[[Page 33980]]

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 (including any personal 
information provided) to eCRB at https://app.crb.gov/.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read submitted background 
documents or comments, go to eCRB at https://app.crb.gov/ and search 
for docket number 16-CRB-0010-SD (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 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 June 28, 2019, representatives of all the Allocation Phase 
claimant categories (formerly ``Phase I'') \1\ filed with the Judges a 
motion requesting a partial distribution amounting to 40% of the 2016 
and 2017 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 40% of the 2016 and 2017 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 available in eCRB 
at https://app.crb.gov/case/viewDocument/4397.

    Dated: July 11, 2019.
Jesse M. Feder,
Chief U.S. Copyright Royalty Judge.
[FR Doc. 2019-15099 Filed 7-15-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-72-P