[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 25, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 73381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23524]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Copyright Royalty Board

[Docket Nos. 19-CRB-0010-CD (2018), 20-CRB-0010-CD (2019), 21-CRB-0008-
CD (2020)]


Distribution of 2018 Cable Royalty Funds, Distribution of 2019 
Cable Royalty Funds, Distribution of 2020 Cable Royalty Funds

AGENCY: Copyright Royalty Board, Library of Congress.

ACTION: Notice requesting comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Copyright Royalty Judges solicit comments on a motion of 
Multigroup Claimants for partial distribution of 2018, 2019, and 2020 
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 19-CRB-0010-CD (2018), 20-CRB-0010-CD (2019), and 
21-CRB-0008-CD (2020). 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 19-CRB-0010-CD (2018), 20-CRB-0010-CD 
(2019), or 21-CRB-0008-CD (2020).

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), 803(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), 803(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 April 3, 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 $921,778 of the 2018 cable royalty funds on deposit, a 
partial distribution amounting to $963,466 of the 2019 cable royalty 
funds on deposit, and a partial distribution amounting to $928,162 of 
the 2020 cable royalty funds on deposit.\1\ 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ These amounts are based on a formula developed by MGC. 
Multigroup Claimants' Motion for Partial Distribution of 2018, 2019 
and 2020 Cable Royalties at 3-5 (see, e.g., eCRB no. 27958).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Accordingly, this notice seeks comments from interested claimants 
\2\ on whether any reasonable objection exists that would preclude the 
distribution of the requested amounts of the 2018, 2019, and 2020 cable 
royalty funds to the requesting claimant representatives. 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The Settling Devotional Claimants filed an opposition to the 
motion to which MGC filed a reply. The Judges deem that both 
constitute timely filed comments that they will consider, 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 19-CRB-0010-CD 
(2018), 20-CRB-0010-CD (2019), or 21-CRB-0008-CD (2020).

     Dated: October 19, 2023.
David P. Shaw,
Chief Copyright Royalty Judge.
[FR Doc. 2023-23524 Filed 10-24-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-72-P