Notice2025-05551
Distribution of Satellite 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
April 1, 2025
Issuing agencies
Library of CongressCopyright Royalty Board
Abstract
The Copyright Royalty Judges solicit comments on a motion of Allocation Phase claimants for partial distribution of 2022 satellite royalty funds.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 61 (Tuesday, April 1, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 61 (Tuesday, April 1, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14394-14395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-05551]
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Copyright Royalty Board
[Docket No. 23-CRB-0009-SD (2022)]
Distribution of Satellite 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 claimants for partial distribution of 2022 satellite
royalty funds.
DATES: Comments are due on or before May 1, 2025.
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 number 23-CRB-0009-SD (2022). 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 23-CRB-0009-SD (2022).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anita Brown, CRB Program Specialist,
at (202) 707-7658 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dfbcadbd9fb3b0bcf1b8b0a9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="84e7f6e6c4e8ebe7aae3ebf2">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Each year satellite providers must submit
royalty payments to the Register of Copyrights as required by the
statutory license detailed in section 119 of the Copyright Act for the
retransmission to satellite subscribers of over-the-air television
broadcast signals. See 17 U.S.C. 119(b). The Copyright Royalty Judges
(Judges) oversee distribution of royalties to copyright owners whose
works were included in a qualifying transmission and who timely filed a
claim for royalties.
Allocation of the royalties collected occurs in one of two ways. In
the first
[[Page 14395]]
instance, the Judges may authorize distribution in accordance with a
negotiated agreement among all claiming parties. 17 U.S.C.
119(b)(5)(A), 801(b)(3)(A). If all claimants do not reach an 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. 119(b)(5)(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. 119(b)(5)(C),
801(b)(3)(C).
On March 21, 2025, representatives of all 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 amounting to 40% of the 2022 satellite 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 satellite royalty funds,
the Allocation Phase Parties are Program Suppliers, Joint Sports
Claimants, Commercial Television Claimants, Devotional Claimants,
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
2022 satellite 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 2022 satellite 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 <a href="https://app.crb.gov">https://app.crb.gov</a> and searching for docket number 23-CRB-0009-SD
(2022).
Dated: March 27, 2025.
David P. Shaw,
Chief Copyright Royalty Judge.
[FR Doc. 2025-05551 Filed 3-31-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-72-P
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