[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 25, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73382-73383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23523]


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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Copyright Royalty Board

[Docket Nos. 22-CRB-0005-CD (2021), 23-CRB-0008-CD (2022)]


Distribution of 2021 Cable Royalty Funds, Distribution of 2022 
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 of 
Multigroup Claimants for partial distribution of 2021 and 2022 cable 
royalty funds.

DATES: Comments are due on or before November 24, 2023.

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 numbers 22-CRB-0005-CD (2021) and 23-CRB-0008-CD (2022). 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 Royalty Board's online 
electronic filing and case management system, at https://app.crb.gov/ 
and search for docket number 22-CRB-0005-CD (2021) or 23-CRB-0008-CD 
(2022).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anita Brown, CRB 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 agreement among all claiming parties. 17 U.S.C. 
111(d)(4)(A), 801(b)(3)(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), 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. 111(d)(4)(C), 
801(b)(3)(C).
    On October 11, 2023, Worldwide Subsidy Group LLC dba Multigroup 
Claimants (MGC) filed with the Judges a motion pursuant to section 
801(b)(3)(C) of the Copyright Act requesting a partial distribution 
amounting to $901,128 of the 2021 cable royalty funds on deposit and 
$886,744 of the 2022 cable royalty funds on deposit. 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. 17 U.S.C. 801(b)(3)(C).
    Accordingly, this notice seeks comments from interested claimants 
on whether any reasonable objection exists that would preclude the 
distribution of the requested amounts of the 2021 and

[[Page 73383]]

2022 cable royalty funds to MGC. Parties objecting to the proposed 
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 docket number 22-CRB-0005-CD 
(2021) or 23-CRB-0008-CD (2022).

     Dated: October 19, 2023.
David P. Shaw,
Chief Copyright Royalty Judge.
[FR Doc. 2023-23523 Filed 10-24-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-72-P