[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 174 (Monday, September 13, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50910-50911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19702]


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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Copyright Royalty Board

[Docket No. CONSOLIDATED 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 
Multigroup Claimants for partial distribution of 2015-2017 satellite 
royalty funds.

DATES: Comments are due on or before October 13, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested claimants must submit timely comments using eCRB, 
the Copyright Royalty Board's online electronic filing application, at 
https://app.crb.gov/.
    Instructions: All submissions must include a reference to the CRB 
and docket number CONSOLIDATED 16-CRB-0010-SD (2014-17). 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 documents, go to 
eCRB, the Copyright Royalty Board's electronic filing and case 
management system, at https://app.crb.gov/ and search for docket number 
CONSOLIDATED 16-CRB-0010-SD (2014-17).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anita Blaine, Program Specialist, 202-
707-7658, [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 July 23, 2021, Worldwide Subsidy Group LLC dba Multigroup 
Claimants (MGC) filed with the Judges a motion

[[Page 50911]]

requesting partial distributions of an amount confidentially calculated 
by the Licensing Division that equals 50% of the average satellite 
royalty awarded to MGC for 2010-2013, as applied against the 2015-2017 
satellite royalties collected. Motion at 4.\1\
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    \1\ The Motion can be found at https://app.crb.gov/document/download/25503.
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    The Settling Devotional Claimants (SDC) opposed the Motion as well 
as a separate motion that MGC filed in the companion cable docket. See 
Settling Devotional Claimants' Opposition to Multigroup Claimants' 
Motion for Partial Distribution of 2015-2017 Cable and Satellite 
Royalty Funds (Opposition).\2\ MGC filed a Reply in support of its 
Motion. See Multigroup Claimants' Reply in Support of Motion for 
Partial Distribution of 2015-2017 Satellite Royalties (Aug. 13, 
2021).\3\
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    \2\ The Opposition can be found at https://app.crb.gov/document/download/25572.
    \3\ The Reply can be found at https://app.crb.gov/document/download/25603.
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    Prior to ruling on a motion for partial distribution filed under 
Sec.  801(b)(3)(C) of the Copyright Act, the Judges must publish a 
notice in the Federal Register to determine whether any interested 
claimant entitled to receive such royalty fees has a reasonable 
objection to the partial distribution. Accordingly, this Notice seeks 
comments from interested claimants on whether any reasonable objection 
exists that would preclude the distribution to MGC of the requested 
amounts from the 2015-2017 satellite royalty funds. As the Judges have 
commenced a distribution proceeding concerning 2014-2017 satellite 
royalties, only claimants that have filed petitions to participate in 
the proceeding (or are included in a petition to participate filed on 
their behalf) are ``interested claimants'' for purposes of this Notice. 
Interested claimants 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 motion that come to their attention 
after the close of the comment period.\4\
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    \4\ The Judges deem the SDC's Opposition and MGC's Reply to 
constitute timely comments and will consider them, together with any 
other comments they receive during the comment period, in 
determining whether any reasonable objection exists that would 
preclude the requested distribution to MGC.

    Dated: September 8, 2021.
Jesse M. Feder,
Chief Copyright Royalty Judge.
[FR Doc. 2021-19702 Filed 9-10-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-72-P