[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 27, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 21286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06533]


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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Copyright Royalty Board

[Docket No. 22-CRB-0005-CD (2021)]


Distribution of 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 
Allocation Phase Parties for partial distribution of 2021 cable royalty 
funds.

DATES: Comments are due on or before April 26, 2024.

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 22-CRB-0005-CD (2021). 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).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anita Brown, CRB Program Specialist, 
at (202) 707-7658 or [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 March 12, 2024, representatives of the Allocation Phase Parties 
claimant categories \1\ filed with the Judges a motion pursuant to 
section 801(b)(3)(C) of the Copyright Act requesting a partial 
distribution of 40% of the 2021 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).
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    \1\ For the purpose of distribution of cable royalty funds, the 
Allocation Phase Parties are Program Suppliers, Joint Sports 
Claimants, Public Television Claimants, Commercial Television 
Claimants, Devotional Claimants, Canadian Claimants Group, National 
Public Radio, and the Music Claimants, who are comprised of the 
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, SESAC 
Performing Rights, LLC, and Broadcast Music, Inc. The Judges have 
not determined, and do not by this notice determine, the universe of 
claimant categories for 2021 cable retransmission royalties.
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    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 cable royalty funds 
to the Allocation Phase Parties. 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).

    Dated: March 22, 2024.
David P. Shaw,
Chief Copyright Royalty Judge.
[FR Doc. 2024-06533 Filed 3-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-72-P