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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 28, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 18704-18705]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7427]

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Copyright Office

37 CFR Part 201

[Docket No. RM 2011-9]

Fees

AGENCY: Copyright Office, Library of Congress.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress is publishing 
a final rule establishing an additional fee for a particular service: 
Travel expenses in connection with educational activities.

DATES: Effective Date: March 28, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David O. Carson, General Counsel, P.O. 
Box 70400, Washington, DC 20024-0400, Telephone: (202) 707-8380. 
Telefax: (202) 707-8366.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    This final rule adjusts Copyright Office's schedule of fees by 
adding a fee for travel expenses in connection with participation by 
Copyright Office personnel in various educational activities when 
participation has been requested by another organization or person and 
that organization or person has agreed to reimburse the Office for 
travel expenses. As the office administering the nation's records of 
copyright ownership and as the advisor to Congress, the federal 
departments and agencies and the judiciary on national and 
international issues relating to copyright, the Copyright Office has 
long considered informing and educating the public on copyright issues 
to be a strategic goal. In furtherance of that goal, the Office has 
long engaged in various educational programs to inform the public on 
copyright issues. The Office performs these activities under its 
broader authority set forth in 17 U.S.C. 701(b)(4), which directs the 
Office to ``[c]onduct studies and programs regarding copyright, other 
matters arising under this title, and related matters, the 
administration of the Copyright Office, or any function vested in the 
Copyright Office by law, including educational programs conducted 
cooperatively with foreign intellectual property offices and 
international intergovernmental organizations.''
    Frequently, the Register of Copyrights and other Copyright Office 
employees are requested to travel to speak to various groups of 
authors, copyright owners, their representatives, users of copyrighted 
works, and other members of the public to provide information about the 
activities of the Copyright Office, including copyright registration 
and recordation, the statutory licenses, pending and enacted copyright 
legislation, Copyright Office regulations, international copyright 
developments, significant copyright litigation matters, etc. Because 
the Copyright Office has limited travel funds and because various 
organizations consider it highly beneficial to host presentations by 
Copyright Office officials, it has been the general practice of the 
Office to request that the sponsoring organization or person pay the 
travel expenses of the Copyright Office personnel. More often than not, 
the Office's limited travel funds would not permit the Office to send 
anyone to participate in such programs unless the sponsoring 
organization or person is willing to pay those expenses.
    This regulation codifies the authority for payment of those travel 
expenses. It adds a new paragraph (f) to the Copyright Office fee 
schedule in Sec.  201.3 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and 
provides that the Copyright Office shall charge a fee, consistent with 
the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) set forth in Chapters 300 through 
304 of Title 41 of the Code of Federal Regulations as well as other 
applicable laws and regulations, to cover the travel expenses of 
Copyright Office personnel, in connection with Copyright Office 
educational activities when participation by Copyright Office personnel 
has been requested by another person or organization which has agreed 
to pay such expenses. The fee may be no greater than the amount 
authorized under the FTR.
    The Office is also making a technical amendment to paragraph (b)(2) 
of Sec.  201.3, changing the reference to section 708(a)(10) of title 
17 of the U.S. Code. Due to amendments to section 708, that reference 
has been changed to section 708(a).
    Because this regulatory amendment simply codifies a longstanding 
practice and is necessary in order to permit uninterrupted operation of 
the Office's ongoing educational activities, the Register concludes 
that providing notice and opportunity for comment would be 
impracticable, unnecessary and contrary

[[Page 18705]]

to the public interest. For similar reasons and in order to minimize 
disruptions in the Office's educational activities, the Register finds 
that there is good cause to make the rule effective immediately upon 
publication.

List of Subjects in 37 CFR Part 201

    Copyright, General provisions.

Final Rule

    In consideration of the foregoing, part 201 of 37 CFR chapter II is 
amended as follows:

PART 201--GENERAL PROVISIONS

0
1. The authority citation for part 201 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 17 U.S.C. 702.

0
2 Amend Sec.  201.3 as follows:
0
a. In paragraph (b)(2) by removing ``708(a)(10)'' and adding ``708(a)'' 
in its place.
0
b. By adding new paragraph (f) as follows:

Sec.  201.3  Fees for registration, recordation, and related services, 
special services, and services performed by the Licensing Division.

* * * * *
    (f) Fees for travel in connection with educational activities. For 
travel expenses in connection with Copyright Office educational 
activities when participation by Copyright Office personnel has been 
requested by another organization or person and that organization or 
person has agreed to pay such expenses, collection of the fee shall be 
subject to, and the amount of the fee shall be no greater than, the 
amount authorized under the Federal Travel Regulations found in 
Chapters 300 through 304 of Title 41.

    Dated: March 12, 2012.
Maria A. Pallante,
Register of Copyrights.

    Dated: March 19, 2012.

    Approved by:
James H. Billington,
The Librarian of Congress.
[FR Doc. 2012-7427 Filed 3-27-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-30-P
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