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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 248 (Friday, December 27, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 105635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-30822]

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Copyright Royalty Board

[Docket No. 24-CRB-0005-CRA (2025-2029)]

Adjustment of Cable Statutory License Royalty Rates

AGENCY: Copyright Royalty Board, Library of Congress.

ACTION: Notice announcing commencement of proceeding with request for 
petitions to participate.

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SUMMARY: The Copyright Royalty Judges (Judges) announce the 
commencement of a proceeding to adjust the rates for the cable 
statutory license described in section 111 of the Copyright Act. The 
Judges also announce the date by which a party who wishes to 
participate in the proceeding must file its Petition to Participate and 
pay the $150 filing fee.

DATES: Petitions to Participate and the filing fee are due no later 
than January 27, 2025.

ADDRESSES: The petition to participate form is available online in 
eCRB, the Copyright Royalty Board's online electronic filing 
application, at https://app.crb.gov/.
    Instructions: The petition to participate process has been 
simplified. Interested parties file a petition to participate by 
filling out the petition to participate form in eCRB and paying the fee 
in eCRB. Do not upload a petition to participate document.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read submitted documents, go to 
eCRB, the Copyright Royalty Board's electronic filing and case 
management system, at https://app.crb.gov/, and search for docket 
number 24-CRB-0005-CRA (2025-2029).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anita Brown, CRB Program Specialist, 
(202) 707-7658, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 111 of the Copyright Act grants a statutory copyright 
license to cable television systems for the retransmission of over-the-
air television and radio broadcast stations to their subscribers. 17 
U.S.C. 111(c). In exchange for the license, cable operators submit 
royalty payments and statements of account detailing their 
retransmissions semiannually to the Copyright Office. 17 U.S.C. 
111(d)(1). The Copyright Office deposits the royalties into the United 
States Treasury for later distribution to copyright owners of the 
broadcast programming that the cable systems retransmit. 17 U.S.C. 
111(d)(2).
    A cable system calculates its royalty payments in accordance with 
the statutory formula described in 17 U.S.C. 111(d)(1). See 37 CFR part 
387. Royalty rates are based upon a cable system's gross receipts from 
subscribers who receive retransmitted broadcast signals. For rate 
calculation purposes, cable systems are divided into three tiers based 
on their gross receipts (small, medium, and large). 17 U.S.C. 
111(d)(1)(B) through (F). Both the applicable rates and the tiers are 
subject to adjustment. 17 U.S.C. 801(b)(2).
    Section 804 of the Copyright Act provides that the gross receipts 
and royalty rates may be adjusted every five years beginning with 2005, 
thus making 2025 a royalty adjustment year, upon the filing of a 
petition to initiate a proceeding. 17 U.S.C. 804(b)(1). However, since 
no petition has been filed pursuant to section 804(b)(1), section 
803(b)(1)(A)(i)(V) requires the Judges to publish a Federal Register 
notice no later than January 5, 2025, commencing this proceeding.
    No person with a significant interest has filed a petition to 
initiate a proceeding in 2024.\1\ The Judges must, therefore, publish 
notice in the Federal Register announcing the commencement of a 
proceeding and calling for Petitions to Participate. See 17 U.S.C. 
803(b)(1).
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    \1\ With respect to the rates for the 2020-2024 period, the 
Judges adopted a settlement proposed by the participants to leave 
the then-current rates unchanged. 86 FR 72845, 72846 (Dec. 23, 
2021).
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Petitions to Participate

    Parties filing Petitions to Participate should use the interactive 
form in eCRB, instead of uploading a document, and must comply with the 
requirements of Sec.  351.1(b) of the Copyright Royalty Board's 
regulations.

    Dated: December 19, 2024.
David P. Shaw,
Chief Copyright Royalty Judge.
[FR Doc. 2024-30822 Filed 12-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-72-P
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