[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 220 (Thursday, November 16, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 78691-78692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25341]


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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Copyright Office

37 CFR Part 210

[Docket No. 2022-5]


Termination Rights, Royalty Distributions, Ownership Transfers, 
Disputes, and the Music Modernization Act

AGENCY: U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress.

ACTION: Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of 
comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Copyright Office is extending the deadline to submit 
reply comments in connection with a supplemental notice of proposed 
rulemaking regarding the applicability of the derivative works 
exception to termination rights under the Copyright Act to the new 
statutory mechanical blanket license established by the Music 
Modernization Act and other matters relevant to identifying the proper 
payee to whom the mechanical licensing collective must distribute 
royalties.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published September 26, 
2023, at 88 FR 65908, is extended. Written reply comments are due no 
later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.

ADDRESSES: For reasons of governmental efficiency, the Copyright Office 
is using the regulations.gov system for the submission and posting of 
public comments in this proceeding. All comments are therefore to be 
submitted electronically through regulations.gov. Specific instructions 
for submitting comments are available on the Copyright Office's website 
at https://copyright.gov/rulemaking/mma-termination. If electronic 
submission of comments is not feasible due to lack of access to a 
computer or the internet,

[[Page 78692]]

please contact the Copyright Office using the contact information below 
for special instructions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rhea Efthimiadis, Assistant to the 
General Counsel, by email at [email protected] or telephone at 202-
707-8350.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 26, 2023, the U.S. Copyright 
Office issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking seeking 
comments from the public on questions regarding the applicability of 
the derivative works exception to termination rights under the 
Copyright Act to the new statutory mechanical blanket license 
established by the Music Modernization Act and other matters relevant 
to identifying the proper payee to whom the mechanical licensing 
collective must distribute royalties.\1\ The supplemental notice set an 
October 26, 2023 deadline for submitting initial comments and a 
November 13, 2023 deadline for reply comments. On October 11, 2023, the 
Office extended these deadlines to November 8, 2023 and November 28, 
2023, respectively.\2\
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    \1\ 88 FR 65908 (Sept. 26, 2023).
    \2\ 88 FR 70412 (Oct. 11, 2023).
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    To ensure that members of the public have sufficient time to 
prepare responses to the Office, and to ensure that the Office can 
proceed on a timely basis with its inquiry of the issues identified in 
its supplemental notice with the benefit of a complete record, the 
Office is further extending the reply comment period deadlines as set 
forth here. Reply comments will now be due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time 
on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.

    Dated: November 13, 2023.
Suzanne V. Wilson,
General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights.
[FR Doc. 2023-25341 Filed 11-15-23; 8:45 am]
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