Notice2023-23524
Distribution of 2018 Cable Royalty Funds, Distribution of 2019 Cable Royalty Funds, Distribution of 2020 Cable Royalty Funds
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 25, 2023
Issuing agencies
Library of CongressCopyright Royalty Board
Abstract
The Copyright Royalty Judges solicit comments on a motion of Multigroup Claimants for partial distribution of 2018, 2019, and 2020 cable royalty funds.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 205 (Wednesday, October 25, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 25, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 73381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23524]
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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.
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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
<a href="https://app.crb.gov/">https://app.crb.gov/</a>.
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 <a href="https://app.crb.gov/">https://app.crb.gov/</a> 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 <a href="https://app.crb.gov/">https://app.crb.gov/</a>
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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5437263614383b377a333b22"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="97f4e5f5d7fbf8f4b9f0f8e1">[email protected]</span></a>.
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).
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\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).
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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.
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\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.
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Members of the public may read the motion by accessing the
Copyright Royalty Board's electronic filing and case management system
at <a href="https://app.crb.gov">https://app.crb.gov</a> 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
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