Source: https://regulations.justia.com/regulations/fedreg/2018/10/16/2018-22518.html
Timestamp: 2019-10-18 06:36:21
Document Index: 701520331

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 611', 'art 614', 'ART 611', 'art 611', 'art 79', 'ART 614', 'art 614', 'ART 636', 'art 636', 'ART 649', 'art 649', 'ART 680', 'art 680', 'ART 693', 'art 693', 'ARTS 695', 'arts 695', 'art 201', 'art 201', 'art 201', 'ART 201', 'art 201', '§ 201', '§ 201', '§ 201', '§ 201', '§ 201', '§ 201', '§ 201', '§ 201', '§ 201', '§ 201', '§ 201', '§ 201', 'art 3010', 'art 201']

Filing of Schedules by Rights Owners and Contact Information by Transmitting Entities Relating to Pre-1972 Sound Recordings, 52150-52154 [2018-22518] :: Library Of Congress :: Agencies And Commissions :: Regulation Tracker :: Justia
Justia Regulation Tracker Agencies And Commissions Library Of Congress Filing of Schedules by Rights Owners and Contact Information by Transmitting Entities Relating to Pre-1972 Sound Recordings, 52150-52154 [2018-22518]
Filing of Schedules by Rights Owners and Contact Information by Transmitting Entities Relating to Pre-1972 Sound Recordings, 52150-52154 [2018-22518]
Download as PDF 52150 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2018 / Rules and Regulations We also have determined that this regulatory action does not unduly interfere with State, local, and Tribal governments in the exercise of their governmental functions. In accordance with both Executive orders, the Department has assessed the potential costs and benefits, both quantitative and qualitative, of this regulatory action. Because the rescinded regulations are obsolete, we do not believe that this action will result in any additional costs or benefits. Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 601(2), the Regulatory Flexibility Act applies only to rules for which an agency publishes a general notice of proposed rulemaking. The Regulatory Flexibility Act does not apply to this rulemaking because there is good cause to waive notice and comment under 5 U.S.C. 553. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES These regulations do not contain any information collection requirements. your search to documents published by the Department. ACTION: List of Subjects SUMMARY: 34 CFR Part 611 Colleges and universities, Elementary and secondary education, Grant programs-education. 34 CFR Part 614 Grant programs-education, colleges and universities. Dated: October 10, 2018. Diane Auer Jones, Principal Deputy Under Secretary Delegated to Perform the Duties of Under Secretary and Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education. For the reasons discussed in the preamble, and under the authority at 20 U.S.C. 3474 and 20 U.S.C. 1221e–3, the Secretary amends chapter VI of title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows: PART 611—[Removed] 1. Part 611 is removed. Intergovernmental Review ■ These programs are subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened federalism. The Executive order relies on processes developed by State and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance. Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document in an accessible format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations via the Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/ fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site. You may also access documents of the Department published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at: www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit PART 614—[Removed] VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:24 Oct 15, 2018 Jkt 247001 ■ 2. Part 614 is removed. PART 636—[Removed] ■ 3. Reserved part 636 is removed. PART 649—[Removed] ■ 4. Reserved part 649 is removed. PART 680—[Removed] ■ 5. Reserved part 680 is removed. PART 693—[Removed] ■ 6. Reserved part 693 is removed. PARTS 695–699—[REMOVED] 7. Reserved parts 695–699 are removed. ■ [FR Doc. 2018–22413 Filed 10–15–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Copyright Office 37 CFR Part 201 [Docket No. 2018–7] Filing of Schedules by Rights Owners and Contact Information by Transmitting Entities Relating to Pre1972 Sound Recordings U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. AGENCY: PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 Interim rule with request for comments. The U.S. Copyright Office is issuing interim regulations pursuant to the Classics Protection and Access Act, title II of the recently enacted Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act. These regulations pertain to the filing of schedules by rights owners listing their sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, and the filing of contact information by entities publicly performing these sound recordings by means of digital audio transmission. As required under the Act, the Office is also specifying how individuals may request timely notification of the filing of such schedules with the Office. These regulations are issued on an interim basis with opportunity for comment to comply with statutory requirements and to ensure that both rights owners and transmitting entities can promptly make use of these new filing mechanisms to protect their respective legal interests. The Office welcomes comment on these interim rules. DATES: The effective date of the interim regulations is October 16, 2018. Written comments must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 15, 2018. ADDRESSES: For reasons of government efficiency, the Copyright Office is using the regulations.gov system for the submission and posting of public comments in this proceeding. All comments are therefore to be submitted electronically through regulations.gov. Specific instructions for submitting comments are available on the Copyright Office’s website at https:// www.copyright.gov/rulemaking/ pre1972-soundrecordings-schedules/. If electronic submission of comments is not feasible due to lack of access to a computer and/or the internet, please contact the Office using the contact information below for special instructions. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regan A. Smith, General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights, by email at regans@copyright.gov, Anna Chauvet, Assistant General Counsel, by email at achau@copyright.gov, or Jason E. Sloan, Assistant General Counsel, by email at jslo@copyright.gov. Each can be contacted by telephone by calling (202) 707–8350. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background On October 11, 2018, the president signed into law the Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act, E:\FR\FM\16OCR1.SGM 16OCR1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2018 / Rules and Regulations H.R. 1551 (‘‘MMA’’). Title II of the MMA, the Classics Protection and Access Act, created chapter 14 of the copyright law, title 17, United States Code, which, among other things, extends remedies for copyright infringement to owners of sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972 (‘‘Pre-1972 Sound Recordings’’). Under the provision, rights owners may be eligible to recover statutory damages and/or attorneys’ fees for the unauthorized use of their Pre-1972 Sound Recordings if certain requirements are met. Specifically, to be eligible for these remedies, rights owners must typically file schedules listing their Pre-1972 Sound Recordings (‘‘Pre-1972 Schedules’’) with the U.S. Copyright Office (the ‘‘Office’’), which are then indexed into the Office’s public records.1 The remedies are only available for unauthorized uses of a recording that have occurred more than 90 days after indexing.2 Pre-1972 Schedules must include the name of the rights owner, title, and featured artist for each recording listed, and ‘‘such other information, as practicable, that the Register of Copyrights prescribes by regulation.’’ 3 The filing requirement ‘‘is designed to operate in place of a formal registration requirement that normally applies to claims involving statutory damages.’’ 4 In addition, the Pre-1972 Schedules are important to the Act’s new exemption for noncommercial uses of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings that are not being commercially exploited.5 Under that provision, persons seeking to use the exemption are exempt from liability for unauthorized use if they make a ‘‘good faith, reasonable search for’’ a given sound recording in the Office’s records of Pre-1972 Schedules before determining that the recording is not being commercially exploited.6 In establishing a filing mechanism for Pre1972 Schedules, the Office must also provide a means for individuals to request and receive timely notification 1 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(A)(i)(I)–(II). 1401(f)(5)(A)(i)(II). 3 Id. 1401(f)(5)(A)(i)(I). 4 H.R. Rep. No. 115–651, at 16 (2018); see S. Rep. No. 115–339, at 18 (2018); 17 U.S.C. 412 (stating that generally ‘‘no award of statutory damages or of attorney’s fees . . . Shall be made for . . . any infringement of copyright in an unpublished work commenced before the effective date of its registration’’ or ‘‘any infringement of copyright commenced after first publication of the work and before the effective date of its registration, unless such registration is made within three months after the first publication of the work’’). 5 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(1)(A)(i). The Copyright Office is separately issuing a notice of inquiry related to regulations the Register must promulgate regarding this exception. See id. 1401(c)(3), (5)(A). 6 Id. 1401(c)(1)(A). amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES 2 Id. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:24 Oct 15, 2018 Jkt 247001 when such filings are indexed into the Office’s public record.7 In addition, rights owners must provide specific notice of unauthorized use to certain entities that were previously transmitting Pre-1972 Sound Recordings, before pursuing certain remedies against them. To be entitled to receive direct notice of unauthorized activity from a rights owner, an entity must have been publicly performing a Pre-1972 Sound Recording by means of digital audio transmission at the time of enactment of section 1401 and must file its contact information with the Copyright Office within 180 days of enactment, that is, by April 9, 2019.8 Where a valid notice of contact information has been filed, the rights owner may be eligible to obtain statutory damages and/or attorneys’ fees only after sending the transmitting entity a notice stating that it is not legally authorized to use the Pre-1972 Sound Recording, and identifying the Pre-1972 Sound Recording in a schedule conforming to the requirements by the Office for filing Pre-1972 Schedules.9 In addition, the unauthorized use must have occurred 90 days after the entity receives the notice.10 After April 9, 2019, the Office cannot accept any new filings of contact information by transmitting entities.11 For any eligible transmitting entity that does not file its contact information by April 9, 2019, rights owners are not obligated to send it a direct notice of unauthorized use prior to becoming eligible for statutory damages and/or attorneys’ fees.12 Rather, as described above, rights owners would file Pre-1972 Schedules with the Copyright Office, and they would become eligible for these remedies for unauthorized uses of a recording occurring more than 90 days after indexing of the schedules.13 II. Interim Rule The Office promulgates the following interim rule to establish and govern the filing of Pre-1972 Schedules, the filing of contact information by entities publicly performing Pre-1972 Sound Recordings by means of digital audio transmission at the time of enactment of section 1401 (‘‘Notice of Contact Information’’), and the means by which individuals may request and receive timely notification when Pre-1972 7 Id. 1401(f)(5)(A)(ii)(II)–(III). 1401(f)(5)(B)(i)–(ii). 9 Id. 1401(f)(5)(B)(iii). 10 Id. 1401(f)(5)(B)(iii)(I). 11 Id. 1401(f)(5)(B)(ii). 12 H.R. Rep. No. 115–651, at 16 (2018); see S. Rep. No. 115–339, at 19 (2018). 13 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(A). 8 Id. PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 52151 Schedules are indexed into the Office’s public records. A. Pre-1972 Schedules Under the interim rule, rights owners may file Pre-1972 Schedules with the Office using a form provided on the Office’s website. At present, the form is an Excel spreadsheet template. This format is required so that the Office can timely ingest the Pre-1972 Schedules and index them into a searchable database available to prospective users, including persons who may otherwise wish to make noncommercial uses of these works, and the general public. The database of Pre-1972 Schedules is available on the Office’s website at https://copyright.gov/musicmodernization/pre1972soundrecordings/searchsoundrecordings.html. For each sound recording, the Pre1972 Schedule must include the rights owner’s name, the sound recording title, and the featured artist. Rights owners may also include additional optional information pursuant to the instructions on the form and the Office’s website. For example, the Pre-1972 Schedule may include, for each sound recording, album title information, any alternate sound recording title(s), the publication date, the label name, and the rights owner’s contact information. A rights owner may elect to include this optional information on a recording-by-recording basis. In addition, the individual submitting the Pre-1972 Schedule must certify that she has appropriate authority to submit the schedule and that all information submitted to the Office is true, accurate, and complete to the best of the individual’s knowledge, and is made in good faith. The Office may reject any Pre-1972 Schedule that fails to comply with these requirements or any additional requirements provided on the Office’s website or the form itself. As noted above, for a rights owner to be eligible to recover statutory damages and/or attorneys’ fees for the unauthorized use of a Pre-1972 Sound Recording, the use must occur at least 90 days after a Pre-1972 Schedule that includes the recording is ‘‘indexed into the public records of the Copyright Office’’ 14 (or 90 days after a transmitting entity receives direct notice of unauthorized use, if applicable 15). Under the interim rule, a Pre-1972 Schedule will be considered ‘‘indexed’’ once it is made publicly available through the Office’s online database of Pre-1972 Schedules. 14 Id. 15 Id. E:\FR\FM\16OCR1.SGM 1401(f)(5)(A)(i)(II). 1401(f)(5)(B)(iii)(I). 16OCR1 52152 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2018 / Rules and Regulations amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES The interim rule also states that if ownership of a Pre-1972 Sound Recording changes after its inclusion in a Pre-1972 Schedule filed with the Office, the Office will consider the schedule to be effective as to any successor in interest. A successor in interest may, but is not required to file a new schedule. The Office invites public comments on whether it should accept transfers of rights ownership and other documents pertaining to a Pre1972 Sound Recording (excluding Pre1972 Schedules) for recordation, even though they are not transfers of copyright ownership or documents pertaining to a copyright under 17 U.S.C. 205. At present, the Office has not implemented a means for rights owners to correct limited mistakes in Pre-1972 Schedules indexed into the Office’s public records (e.g., accidentally misspelling the title of a sound recording or including an errant title). Presently, rights owners can file a new Pre-1972 Schedule listing the sound recording for which incorrect information was indexed, but the original and new Pre-1972 Schedules would coexist in the Office’s database of Pre-1972 Schedules, and each schedule would have its own index date. This treatment is consistent with the Copyright Office’s recordation functions generally, although the Office is currently evaluating comments requesting a method for correcting errors, and has implemented a limited provision permitting corrections for electronic title lists.16 The Office invites public comment on whether and how to provide a mechanism for the correction of limited mistakes in Pre-1972 Schedules, or adding supplemental information about a sound recording, including the potential effect on a Schedule’s index date and how to keep administrative costs low. As required by the Music Modernization Act, the interim regulations also confirm that persons may request timely notification of when Pre-1972 Schedules are indexed into the Office’s public records by following the instructions provided by the Copyright Office on its website. Presently, individuals requesting such notification can subscribe to a weekly email through 16 See Modernizing Copyright Recordation, Interim Rule, 82 FR 52213, 52217 (Nov. 13, 2017). The Office notes, however, that permitting corrections in electronic title lists (‘‘ETL’’) would differ from permitting corrections in Pre-1972 Schedules. An ETL is not considered part of the recorded document; rather an ETL is only used administratively to populate the Office’s public record (as opposed to manually inputting information about the document into the Office’s public record). VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:24 Oct 15, 2018 Jkt 247001 a service similar to the Office’s NewsNet service, which will provide a link to the Office’s online database of indexed Pre1972 Schedules. The Office’s searchable database defaults to listing the sound recordings with the most recent index dates first, so individuals should easily be able to identify recently indexed filings. As with similar types of filings made with the Office, the interim rule states that the Office does not review Pre-1972 Schedules for legal sufficiency, interpret their content, or screen them for errors or discrepancies.17 Rather, the Office’s review is limited to whether the procedural requirements established by the Office (including payment of the proper filing fee) have been met. Rights owners are therefore cautioned to review and scrutinize schedules to assure their legal sufficiency before submitting them to the Office. Regarding filing fees, the Copyright Act grants the Office authority to establish, adjust, and recover fees for services provided to the public.18 The Office concludes that during the interim period, the appropriate fee to file a Pre1972 Schedule will be the same as the current fee to record a notice of intention to make and distribute phonorecords under section 115 (‘‘NOI’’).19 The Office anticipates that the processing of Pre-1972 Schedules will be analogous to that of processing electronic NOIs, and so the fee should be the same.20 There will be no fee for individuals to request and receive timely notifications of when Pre-1972 Schedules are indexed into the Office’s public records. 17 For example, the Office accepts statements of account under the section 111 cable license after a review for ‘‘obvious errors or omissions appearing on the face of the documents’’ (see 37 CFR 201.17(c)(2)), notices of intention under the section 115 compulsory license without review for ‘‘legal sufficiency’’ or ‘‘errors or discrepancies’’ (see 37 CFR 201.18(g)), and agent designations made pursuant to section 512(c)(2) without any examination. 18 See 17 U.S.C. 708. 19 37 CFR 201.3(e)(1) (stating cost to record section 115 NOI is $75, with an additional $10 fee per group of 1 to 100 additional titles for electronic filing). 20 Basing the cost of a service on the cost for a similar service is appropriate. See Copyright Office Fees, 83 FR 24045, 24059 (May 24, 2018) (proposing setting new fees at the same level for ‘‘analogous’’ services). In 2017, Booz Allen Hamilton conducted a study of the Office’s most recent fee structure. When asked whether existing rates could be leveraged for new group registration options, it concluded it was appropriate if the work required was of a similar grade and compensation level. Booz Allen Hamilton, U.S. Copyright Office, Fee Study Question and Answers (Dec. 2017), https:// www.copyright.gov/rulemaking/feestudy2018/fee_ study_q&a.pdf. PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 B. Notices of Contact Information Under the interim rule, transmitting entities may file a Notice of Contact Information with the Office using a form and instructions specified on the Office’s website. The Office is using pay.gov to receive these Notices after determining that it is the best available method to process these filings within the six-month window permitted under the statute. The Notice of Contact Information must include the legal name, email address, and physical street address of the transmitting entity to which rights owners should send notifications of claimed violations of 17 U.S.C. 1401(a).21 Related or affiliated transmitting entities that are separate legal entities (e.g., corporate parents and subsidiaries) are considered separate transmitting entities, and each must file its own separate Notice of Contact Information. But the Notice of Contact Information may include alternate names for the transmitting entity that the public may use to identify a specific legal entity, including names under which the transmitting entity is doing business and other commonly used names. Separate legal entities are not considered alternate names. The Notice of Contact Information shall also include the website(s) and/or application(s) through which the transmitting entity publicly performs Pre-1972 Sound Recordings by means of digital audio transmission. Finally, the Notice of Contact Information must include a certification that the transmitting entity was publicly performing Pre-1972 Sound Recordings by means of digital audio transmission as of October 11, 2018, that the individual submitting the notice has appropriate authority to submit the notice, and that all information submitted to the Office is true, accurate, and complete to the best of the individual’s knowledge, and is made in good faith. The Office may reject any Notice of Contact Information that fails to comply with these requirements or any additional requirements provided on the Office’s website or the form itself. If an entity submits a Notice of Contact Information following the instructions provided by the Office, including paying the appropriate fee, the Office will make the Notice publicly available in a searchable online directory, available on the Office’s website at https://copyright.gov/musicmodernization/pre1972soundrecordings/notices-contact21 The Office is requiring a physical street address so that rights owners may use delivery methods that allow for tracking and/or delivery confirmation. E:\FR\FM\16OCR1.SGM 16OCR1 52153 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2018 / Rules and Regulations information.html. If a transmitting entity includes alternate names in its Notice of Contact Information, users will be able to search on those names to locate the transmitting entity’s Notice of Contact Information. The Office concludes that during the interim period, the appropriate fee to file a Notice of Contact Information will be similar to the fee previously in effect for service providers to designate an agent to receive notifications of claimed copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. 512(c).22 The Office anticipates that the processing of Notices of Contact Information will be analogous to how designations of agents were processed prior to the existing Digital Millennium Copyright Act (‘‘DMCA’’) designated agent directory.23 Following that model, the interim rule assesses an additional cost to process alternate names submitted by the transmitting entity.24 III. Request for Comments These interim regulations will go into effect immediately after publication of this document in the Federal Register. Comments will be due 30 days thereafter. The Copyright Office is issuing these interim regulations after finding, for good cause, that notice and public procedure prior to their issuance would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest.25 The MMA requires swift action by the Office. The Office must issue regulations regarding the filing of Notices of Contact Information within 30 days of enactment, and transmitting entities have only 180 days within which they may file these Notices.26 Similarly, while the Office has 180 days to establish regulations regarding the form and submission of Pre-1972 Schedules, this filing serves as a gating factor to rights owners being eligible for statutory damages and/or attorneys’ fees for unauthorized uses of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings, as well as the ability of persons to search these schedules before determining whether a given sound recording is being commercialized or is available for the noncommercial use exception.27 The interim rule will also inform the Office’s concurrent rulemaking regarding the criteria for a good faith search to make use of the exception for noncommercial uses of sound recordings.28 The Office concludes that a prompt interim rule best serves the legal interests of all relevant stakeholders as well as the general public. Thus, notice and comment is not required under the Administrative Procedure Act.29 List of Subjects in 37 CFR Part 201 Copyright, General provisions. Interim Regulations For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Copyright Office amends 37 CFR part 201 as follows: PART 201—GENERAL PROVISIONS 1. The authority citation for part 201 continues to read as follows: ■ Authority: 17 U.S.C. 702. 2. Amend § 201.3 as follows: a. Redesignate paragraphs (c)(19) and (20) as paragraphs (c)(21) and (22), respectively. ■ b. Add new paragraphs (c)(19) and (20) to read as follows: ■ ■ § 201.3 Fees for registration, recordation, and related services, special services, and services performed by the Licensing Division. * * * (c) * * * * * Fees ($) Registration, recordation and related services * * * * * * * (19) Notice of contact information for transmitting entities publicly performing pre-1972 sound recordings by means of digital audio transmission, or amendment of contact information ................................................................................................................................ Alternate names (each) ............................................................................................................................................................................... (20) Schedule of pre-1972 sound recordings (single title) .......................................................................................................................... Additional titles (per group of 1 to 100 titles) .............................................................................................................................................. * * * * * * * * 3. Amend § 201.4 by adding paragraphs (b)(12) and (13) to read as follows: ■ § 201.4 Recordation of transfers and other documents pertaining to copyright. * * * * (b) * * * (12) Notices of contact information for transmitting entities publicly performing pre-1972 sound recordings amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES * 22 37 CFR 201.3(c)(17) (2016) (cost of $105 to record designation of agent under section 512(c)(2), with additional $35 fee per group of 1 to 10 additional names). In 2016, the Office launched a new database to designate an agent, which required less Office processing and so the Office lowered the filing fee to $6. 37 CFR 201.3(c)(17) (2017). 23 See Old Directory of DMCA Designated Agents 1998–2016, U.S. Copyright Office, https:// www.copyright.gov/onlinesp/list/a_agents.html. 24 Because of the time sensitivity regarding the processing of Notices of Contact Information and VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:24 Oct 15, 2018 Jkt 247001 * * by means of digital audio transmission (17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(B); see § 201.36). (13) Schedules of pre-1972 sound recordings (17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(A); see § 201.35). * * * * * ■ 4. Add § 201.35 to read as follows: § 201.35 Schedules of pre-1972 sound recordings. (a) General. This section prescribes the rules under which rights owners, additional work required by the Office, the additional cost will be $35 per alternate name listed. 25 In the past, the Copyright Office has similarly issued interim rules upon the enactment of legislation before soliciting public comments. See, e.g., Freedom of Information Act Regulations, 82 FR 9505, 9506 (Feb. 7, 2017) (issuing interim rule to implement the FOIA Improvements Act because ‘‘allowing for notice and public procedure prior to the issuance of . . . interim regulations would be impracticable’’); Designation of Agent to Receive PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 * 105 35 75 10 * pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(A), may file schedules listing their pre-1972 sound recordings with the Copyright Office to be eligible for statutory damages and/or attorneys’ fees for violations of 17 U.S.C. 1401(a). (b) Definitions. For purposes of this section: (1) Unless otherwise specified, the terms used have the meanings set forth in 17 U.S.C. 1401. Notification of Claimed Infringement, 63 FR 59233, 59234 (Nov. 3, 1998) (issuing interim rule regarding designation of agent after enactment of the DMCA because ‘‘online service providers may wish immediately to designate agents to receive notification of claimed infringement’’). 26 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(B). 27 Id. 1401(c)(1)(A), (f)(5)(A). 28 Id. 1401(c)(1)(A). 29 See 5 U.S.C. 553(b), (d)(3); Phila. Citizen in Action v. Schweiker, 669 F.2d 877, 884–85 (3d Cir. 1982). E:\FR\FM\16OCR1.SGM 16OCR1 amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES 52154 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2018 / Rules and Regulations (2) A pre-1972 sound recording is a sound recording fixed before February 15, 1972. (c) Form and submission. A rights owner seeking to comply with 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(A) must submit a schedule listing the owner’s pre-1972 sound recordings using an appropriate form provided by the Copyright Office on its website and following the instructions for completion and submission provided on the Office’s website or the form itself. The Office may reject any submission that fails to comply with these requirements. (d) Content. A schedule of pre-1972 sound recordings shall contain the following: (1) For each sound recording listed, the right’s owner name, sound recording title, and featured artist; (2) A certification that the individual submitting the schedule of pre-1972 sound recordings has appropriate authority to submit the schedule and that all information submitted to the Office is true, accurate, and complete to the best of the individual’s knowledge, information, and belief, and is made in good faith. (3) For each sound recording listed, the rights owner may opt to include additional information as permitted and in the format specified by the Office’s form or instructions, such as publication date, or alternate title information. (e) Transfer of rights ownership. If ownership of a pre-1972 sound recording changes after its inclusion in a schedule filed with the Office under this section, the Office will consider the schedule to be effective as to any successor in interest. A successor in interest may, but is not required, to file a new schedule under this section. (f) Legal sufficiency of schedules. The Copyright Office does not review schedules submitted under paragraph (c) of this section for legal sufficiency, interpret their content, or screen them for errors or discrepancies. The Office’s review is limited to whether the procedural requirements established by the Office (including payment of the proper filing fee) have been met. Rights owners are therefore cautioned to review and scrutinize schedules to assure their legal sufficiency before submitting them to the Office. (g) Filing date. The date of filing of a schedule of pre-1972 sound recordings is the date when a proper submission, including the prescribed fee, is received in the Copyright Office. The filing date may not necessarily be the same date that the schedule, for purposes of 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(A)(i)(II), is indexed into the Office’s public records. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:24 Oct 15, 2018 Jkt 247001 (h) Fee. The filing fee to submit a schedule of pre-1972 sound recordings pursuant to this section is prescribed in § 201.3(c). (i) Third-party notification. A person may request timely notification of filings made under this section by following the instructions provided by the Copyright Office on its website. ■ 5. Add § 201.36 to read as follows: § 201.36 Notices of contact information for transmitting entities publicly performing pre-1972 sound recordings. (a) General. This section prescribes the rules under which transmitting entities may file contact information with the Copyright Office pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(B). (b) Definitions. For purposes of this section: (1) Unless otherwise specified, the terms used have the meanings set forth in 17 U.S.C. 1401. (2) A pre-1972 sound recording is a sound recording fixed before February 15, 1972. (3) A transmitting entity is an entity that, as of October 11, 2018, publicly performs pre-1972 sound recordings by means of digital audio transmission. (c) Form and submission. A transmitting entity seeking to comply with 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(B) must submit contact information using an appropriate form specified by the Copyright Office on its website and following the instructions for completion and submission provided on the Office’s website or the form itself. The Office may reject any submission that fails to comply with these requirements. No notice or amended notice received after April 9, 2019 will be accepted by the Office. (d) Content. A notice submitted under paragraph (c) of this section shall contain the following, in addition to any other information required on the Office’s form or website: (1) The full legal name, email address, and physical street address of the transmitting entity to which rights owners should send notifications of claimed violations of 17 U.S.C. 1401(a). A post office box may not be substituted for the street address of a transmitting entity. Related or affiliated transmitting entities that are separate legal entities (e.g., corporate parents and subsidiaries) are considered separate transmitting entities, and each must file its own separate notice of contact information. (2) The website(s) and/or application(s) through which the transmitting entity publicly performs pre-1972 sound recordings by means of digital audio transmission. PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 (3) A certification that the transmitting entity was publicly performing pre-1972 sound recordings by means of digital audio transmission as of October 11, 2018. (4) A certification that the individual submitting the notice has appropriate authority to submit the notice and that all information submitted to the Office is true, accurate, and complete to the best of the individual’s knowledge, information, and belief, and is made in good faith. (5) The transmitting entity may opt to include alternate names for which the transmitting entity seeks application of 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(B)(iii), such as names that the public would be likely to use to search for the transmitting entity in the Copyright Office’s online directory of transmitting entities publicly performing pre-1972 sound recordings by means of digital audio transmission, including names under which the transmitting entity is doing business and other commonly used names. Separate legal entities are not considered alternate names. (e) Fee. The filing fee to submit a notice of contact information pursuant to this section is prescribed in § 201.3(c). Dated: October 11, 2018. Karyn A. Temple, Acting Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office. Approved by: Carla D. Hayden, Librarian of Congress. [FR Doc. 2018–22518 Filed 10–15–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 1410–30–P POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION 39 CFR Part 3010 [Docket No. RM2016–6; Order No. 4850] Mail Preparation Changes Postal Regulatory Commission. Final rule. AGENCY: ACTION: The Commission adopts a final rule concerning mail preparation changes. The rule as adopted removes reference to procedures relying on the existence of a substantive standard for mail preparation changes in response to the recent decision in United States Postal Serv. v. Postal Reg. Comm’n, 886 F.3d 1253 (D.C. Cir. 2018). DATES: Effective November 15, 2018. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at 202–789–6820. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\16OCR1.SGM 16OCR1
[Pages 52150-52154]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22518]
[Docket No. 2018-7]
Filing of Schedules by Rights Owners and Contact Information by
Transmitting Entities Relating to Pre-1972 Sound Recordings
SUMMARY: The U.S. Copyright Office is issuing interim regulations
pursuant to the Classics Protection and Access Act, title II of the
recently enacted Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act.
These regulations pertain to the filing of schedules by rights owners
listing their sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, and the
filing of contact information by entities publicly performing these
sound recordings by means of digital audio transmission. As required
under the Act, the Office is also specifying how individuals may
request timely notification of the filing of such schedules with the
Office. These regulations are issued on an interim basis with
opportunity for comment to comply with statutory requirements and to
ensure that both rights owners and transmitting entities can promptly
make use of these new filing mechanisms to protect their respective
legal interests. The Office welcomes comment on these interim rules.
DATES: The effective date of the interim regulations is October 16,
2018. Written comments must be received no later than 11:59 p.m.
Eastern Time on November 15, 2018.
at https://www.copyright.gov/rulemaking/pre1972-soundrecordings-schedules/. If electronic submission of comments is not feasible due to
lack of access to a computer and/or the internet, please contact the
Office using the contact information below for special instructions.
On October 11, 2018, the president signed into law the Orrin G.
Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act,
H.R. 1551 (``MMA''). Title II of the MMA, the Classics Protection and
Access Act, created chapter 14 of the copyright law, title 17, United
States Code, which, among other things, extends remedies for copyright
infringement to owners of sound recordings fixed before February 15,
1972 (``Pre-1972 Sound Recordings''). Under the provision, rights
owners may be eligible to recover statutory damages and/or attorneys'
fees for the unauthorized use of their Pre-1972 Sound Recordings if
Specifically, to be eligible for these remedies, rights owners must
typically file schedules listing their Pre-1972 Sound Recordings
(``Pre-1972 Schedules'') with the U.S. Copyright Office (the
``Office''), which are then indexed into the Office's public
records.\1\ The remedies are only available for unauthorized uses of a
recording that have occurred more than 90 days after indexing.\2\ Pre-
1972 Schedules must include the name of the rights owner, title, and
featured artist for each recording listed, and ``such other
information, as practicable, that the Register of Copyrights prescribes
by regulation.'' \3\ The filing requirement ``is designed to operate in
place of a formal registration requirement that normally applies to
claims involving statutory damages.'' \4\ In addition, the Pre-1972
Schedules are important to the Act's new exemption for noncommercial
uses of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings that are not being commercially
exploited.\5\ Under that provision, persons seeking to use the
exemption are exempt from liability for unauthorized use if they make a
``good faith, reasonable search for'' a given sound recording in the
Office's records of Pre-1972 Schedules before determining that the
recording is not being commercially exploited.\6\ In establishing a
filing mechanism for Pre-1972 Schedules, the Office must also provide a
means for individuals to request and receive timely notification when
such filings are indexed into the Office's public record.\7\
\1\ 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(A)(i)(I)-(II).
\2\ Id. 1401(f)(5)(A)(i)(II).
\3\ Id. 1401(f)(5)(A)(i)(I).
\4\ H.R. Rep. No. 115-651, at 16 (2018); see S. Rep. No. 115-
339, at 18 (2018); 17 U.S.C. 412 (stating that generally ``no award
of statutory damages or of attorney's fees . . . Shall be made for .
. . any infringement of copyright in an unpublished work commenced
before the effective date of its registration'' or ``any
infringement of copyright commenced after first publication of the
work and before the effective date of its registration, unless such
registration is made within three months after the first publication
of the work'').
\5\ 17 U.S.C. 1401(c)(1)(A)(i). The Copyright Office is
separately issuing a notice of inquiry related to regulations the
Register must promulgate regarding this exception. See id.
1401(c)(3), (5)(A).
\6\ Id. 1401(c)(1)(A).
\7\ Id. 1401(f)(5)(A)(ii)(II)-(III).
In addition, rights owners must provide specific notice of
unauthorized use to certain entities that were previously transmitting
Pre-1972 Sound Recordings, before pursuing certain remedies against
them. To be entitled to receive direct notice of unauthorized activity
from a rights owner, an entity must have been publicly performing a
Pre-1972 Sound Recording by means of digital audio transmission at the
time of enactment of section 1401 and must file its contact information
with the Copyright Office within 180 days of enactment, that is, by
April 9, 2019.\8\ Where a valid notice of contact information has been
filed, the rights owner may be eligible to obtain statutory damages
and/or attorneys' fees only after sending the transmitting entity a
notice stating that it is not legally authorized to use the Pre-1972
Sound Recording, and identifying the Pre-1972 Sound Recording in a
schedule conforming to the requirements by the Office for filing Pre-
1972 Schedules.\9\ In addition, the unauthorized use must have occurred
90 days after the entity receives the notice.\10\ After April 9, 2019,
the Office cannot accept any new filings of contact information by
transmitting entities.\11\ For any eligible transmitting entity that
does not file its contact information by April 9, 2019, rights owners
are not obligated to send it a direct notice of unauthorized use prior
to becoming eligible for statutory damages and/or attorneys' fees.\12\
Rather, as described above, rights owners would file Pre-1972 Schedules
with the Copyright Office, and they would become eligible for these
remedies for unauthorized uses of a recording occurring more than 90
days after indexing of the schedules.\13\
\8\ Id. 1401(f)(5)(B)(i)-(ii).
\9\ Id. 1401(f)(5)(B)(iii).
\10\ Id. 1401(f)(5)(B)(iii)(I).
\11\ Id. 1401(f)(5)(B)(ii).
\12\ H.R. Rep. No. 115-651, at 16 (2018); see S. Rep. No. 115-
339, at 19 (2018).
\13\ 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(A).
The Office promulgates the following interim rule to establish and
govern the filing of Pre-1972 Schedules, the filing of contact
information by entities publicly performing Pre-1972 Sound Recordings
by means of digital audio transmission at the time of enactment of
section 1401 (``Notice of Contact Information''), and the means by
which individuals may request and receive timely notification when Pre-
1972 Schedules are indexed into the Office's public records.
Under the interim rule, rights owners may file Pre-1972 Schedules
with the Office using a form provided on the Office's website. At
present, the form is an Excel spreadsheet template. This format is
required so that the Office can timely ingest the Pre-1972 Schedules
and index them into a searchable database available to prospective
users, including persons who may otherwise wish to make noncommercial
uses of these works, and the general public. The database of Pre-1972
Schedules is available on the Office's website at https://copyright.gov/music-modernization/pre1972-soundrecordings/search-soundrecordings.html.
For each sound recording, the Pre-1972 Schedule must include the
rights owner's name, the sound recording title, and the featured
artist. Rights owners may also include additional optional information
pursuant to the instructions on the form and the Office's website. For
example, the Pre-1972 Schedule may include, for each sound recording,
album title information, any alternate sound recording title(s), the
publication date, the label name, and the rights owner's contact
information. A rights owner may elect to include this optional
information on a recording-by-recording basis. In addition, the
individual submitting the Pre-1972 Schedule must certify that she has
appropriate authority to submit the schedule and that all information
submitted to the Office is true, accurate, and complete to the best of
the individual's knowledge, and is made in good faith. The Office may
reject any Pre-1972 Schedule that fails to comply with these
requirements or any additional requirements provided on the Office's
website or the form itself.
As noted above, for a rights owner to be eligible to recover
statutory damages and/or attorneys' fees for the unauthorized use of a
Pre-1972 Sound Recording, the use must occur at least 90 days after a
Pre-1972 Schedule that includes the recording is ``indexed into the
public records of the Copyright Office'' \14\ (or 90 days after a
transmitting entity receives direct notice of unauthorized use, if
applicable \15\). Under the interim rule, a Pre-1972 Schedule will be
considered ``indexed'' once it is made publicly available through the
Office's online database of Pre-1972 Schedules.
\14\ Id. 1401(f)(5)(A)(i)(II).
\15\ Id. 1401(f)(5)(B)(iii)(I).
The interim rule also states that if ownership of a Pre-1972 Sound
Recording changes after its inclusion in a Pre-1972 Schedule filed with
the Office, the Office will consider the schedule to be effective as to
any successor in interest. A successor in interest may, but is not
required to file a new schedule. The Office invites public comments on
whether it should accept transfers of rights ownership and other
documents pertaining to a Pre-1972 Sound Recording (excluding Pre-1972
Schedules) for recordation, even though they are not transfers of
copyright ownership or documents pertaining to a copyright under 17
U.S.C. 205.
At present, the Office has not implemented a means for rights
owners to correct limited mistakes in Pre-1972 Schedules indexed into
the Office's public records (e.g., accidentally misspelling the title
of a sound recording or including an errant title). Presently, rights
owners can file a new Pre-1972 Schedule listing the sound recording for
which incorrect information was indexed, but the original and new Pre-
1972 Schedules would coexist in the Office's database of Pre-1972
Schedules, and each schedule would have its own index date. This
treatment is consistent with the Copyright Office's recordation
functions generally, although the Office is currently evaluating
comments requesting a method for correcting errors, and has implemented
a limited provision permitting corrections for electronic title
lists.\16\ The Office invites public comment on whether and how to
provide a mechanism for the correction of limited mistakes in Pre-1972
Schedules, or adding supplemental information about a sound recording,
including the potential effect on a Schedule's index date and how to
\16\ See Modernizing Copyright Recordation, Interim Rule, 82 FR
52213, 52217 (Nov. 13, 2017). The Office notes, however, that
permitting corrections in electronic title lists (``ETL'') would
differ from permitting corrections in Pre-1972 Schedules. An ETL is
not considered part of the recorded document; rather an ETL is only
used administratively to populate the Office's public record (as
opposed to manually inputting information about the document into
the Office's public record).
As required by the Music Modernization Act, the interim regulations
also confirm that persons may request timely notification of when Pre-
1972 Schedules are indexed into the Office's public records by
following the instructions provided by the Copyright Office on its
website. Presently, individuals requesting such notification can
subscribe to a weekly email through a service similar to the Office's
NewsNet service, which will provide a link to the Office's online
database of indexed Pre-1972 Schedules. The Office's searchable
database defaults to listing the sound recordings with the most recent
index dates first, so individuals should easily be able to identify
recently indexed filings.
As with similar types of filings made with the Office, the interim
rule states that the Office does not review Pre-1972 Schedules for
legal sufficiency, interpret their content, or screen them for errors
or discrepancies.\17\ Rather, the Office's review is limited to whether
the procedural requirements established by the Office (including
payment of the proper filing fee) have been met. Rights owners are
therefore cautioned to review and scrutinize schedules to assure their
legal sufficiency before submitting them to the Office.
\17\ For example, the Office accepts statements of account under
the section 111 cable license after a review for ``obvious errors or
omissions appearing on the face of the documents'' (see 37 CFR
201.17(c)(2)), notices of intention under the section 115 compulsory
license without review for ``legal sufficiency'' or ``errors or
discrepancies'' (see 37 CFR 201.18(g)), and agent designations made
pursuant to section 512(c)(2) without any examination.
Regarding filing fees, the Copyright Act grants the Office
authority to establish, adjust, and recover fees for services provided
to the public.\18\ The Office concludes that during the interim period,
the appropriate fee to file a Pre-1972 Schedule will be the same as the
current fee to record a notice of intention to make and distribute
phonorecords under section 115 (``NOI'').\19\ The Office anticipates
that the processing of Pre-1972 Schedules will be analogous to that of
processing electronic NOIs, and so the fee should be the same.\20\
There will be no fee for individuals to request and receive timely
notifications of when Pre-1972 Schedules are indexed into the Office's
\18\ See 17 U.S.C. 708.
\19\ 37 CFR 201.3(e)(1) (stating cost to record section 115 NOI
is $75, with an additional $10 fee per group of 1 to 100 additional
titles for electronic filing).
\20\ Basing the cost of a service on the cost for a similar
service is appropriate. See Copyright Office Fees, 83 FR 24045,
24059 (May 24, 2018) (proposing setting new fees at the same level
for ``analogous'' services). In 2017, Booz Allen Hamilton conducted
a study of the Office's most recent fee structure. When asked
whether existing rates could be leveraged for new group registration
options, it concluded it was appropriate if the work required was of
a similar grade and compensation level. Booz Allen Hamilton, U.S.
Copyright Office, Fee Study Question and Answers (Dec. 2017),
https://www.copyright.gov/rulemaking/feestudy2018/fee_study_q&a.pdf.
B. Notices of Contact Information
Under the interim rule, transmitting entities may file a Notice of
Contact Information with the Office using a form and instructions
specified on the Office's website. The Office is using pay.gov to
receive these Notices after determining that it is the best available
method to process these filings within the six-month window permitted
The Notice of Contact Information must include the legal name,
email address, and physical street address of the transmitting entity
to which rights owners should send notifications of claimed violations
of 17 U.S.C. 1401(a).\21\ Related or affiliated transmitting entities
that are separate legal entities (e.g., corporate parents and
subsidiaries) are considered separate transmitting entities, and each
must file its own separate Notice of Contact Information. But the
Notice of Contact Information may include alternate names for the
transmitting entity that the public may use to identify a specific
legal entity, including names under which the transmitting entity is
doing business and other commonly used names. Separate legal entities
are not considered alternate names. The Notice of Contact Information
shall also include the website(s) and/or application(s) through which
the transmitting entity publicly performs Pre-1972 Sound Recordings by
means of digital audio transmission. Finally, the Notice of Contact
Information must include a certification that the transmitting entity
was publicly performing Pre-1972 Sound Recordings by means of digital
audio transmission as of October 11, 2018, that the individual
submitting the notice has appropriate authority to submit the notice,
and that all information submitted to the Office is true, accurate, and
complete to the best of the individual's knowledge, and is made in good
faith. The Office may reject any Notice of Contact Information that
fails to comply with these requirements or any additional requirements
provided on the Office's website or the form itself.
\21\ The Office is requiring a physical street address so that
rights owners may use delivery methods that allow for tracking and/
or delivery confirmation.
If an entity submits a Notice of Contact Information following the
instructions provided by the Office, including paying the appropriate
fee, the Office will make the Notice publicly available in a searchable
online directory, available on the Office's website at https://
copyright.gov/music-modernization/pre1972-soundrecordings/notices-
information.html. If a transmitting entity includes alternate names in
its Notice of Contact Information, users will be able to search on
those names to locate the transmitting entity's Notice of Contact
The Office concludes that during the interim period, the
appropriate fee to file a Notice of Contact Information will be similar
to the fee previously in effect for service providers to designate an
agent to receive notifications of claimed copyright infringement under
17 U.S.C. 512(c).\22\ The Office anticipates that the processing of
Notices of Contact Information will be analogous to how designations of
agents were processed prior to the existing Digital Millennium
Copyright Act (``DMCA'') designated agent directory.\23\ Following that
model, the interim rule assesses an additional cost to process
alternate names submitted by the transmitting entity.\24\
\22\ 37 CFR 201.3(c)(17) (2016) (cost of $105 to record
designation of agent under section 512(c)(2), with additional $35
fee per group of 1 to 10 additional names). In 2016, the Office
launched a new database to designate an agent, which required less
Office processing and so the Office lowered the filing fee to $6. 37
CFR 201.3(c)(17) (2017).
\23\ See Old Directory of DMCA Designated Agents 1998-2016, U.S.
Copyright Office, https://www.copyright.gov/onlinesp/list/a_agents.html.
\24\ Because of the time sensitivity regarding the processing of
Notices of Contact Information and additional work required by the
Office, the additional cost will be $35 per alternate name listed.
These interim regulations will go into effect immediately after
publication of this document in the Federal Register. Comments will be
due 30 days thereafter. The Copyright Office is issuing these interim
regulations after finding, for good cause, that notice and public
procedure prior to their issuance would be impracticable and contrary
to the public interest.\25\ The MMA requires swift action by the
Office. The Office must issue regulations regarding the filing of
Notices of Contact Information within 30 days of enactment, and
transmitting entities have only 180 days within which they may file
these Notices.\26\ Similarly, while the Office has 180 days to
establish regulations regarding the form and submission of Pre-1972
Schedules, this filing serves as a gating factor to rights owners being
eligible for statutory damages and/or attorneys' fees for unauthorized
uses of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings, as well as the ability of persons to
search these schedules before determining whether a given sound
recording is being commercialized or is available for the noncommercial
use exception.\27\ The interim rule will also inform the Office's
concurrent rulemaking regarding the criteria for a good faith search to
make use of the exception for noncommercial uses of sound
recordings.\28\ The Office concludes that a prompt interim rule best
serves the legal interests of all relevant stakeholders as well as the
general public. Thus, notice and comment is not required under the
Administrative Procedure Act.\29\
\25\ In the past, the Copyright Office has similarly issued
interim rules upon the enactment of legislation before soliciting
public comments. See, e.g., Freedom of Information Act Regulations,
82 FR 9505, 9506 (Feb. 7, 2017) (issuing interim rule to implement
the FOIA Improvements Act because ``allowing for notice and public
procedure prior to the issuance of . . . interim regulations would
be impracticable''); Designation of Agent to Receive Notification of
Claimed Infringement, 63 FR 59233, 59234 (Nov. 3, 1998) (issuing
interim rule regarding designation of agent after enactment of the
DMCA because ``online service providers may wish immediately to
designate agents to receive notification of claimed infringement'').
\26\ 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(B).
\27\ Id. 1401(c)(1)(A), (f)(5)(A).
\28\ Id. 1401(c)(1)(A).
\29\ See 5 U.S.C. 553(b), (d)(3); Phila. Citizen in Action v.
Schweiker, 669 F.2d 877, 884-85 (3d Cir. 1982).
amends 37 CFR part 201 as follows:
2. Amend Sec.  201.3 as follows:
a. Redesignate paragraphs (c)(19) and (20) as paragraphs (c)(21) and
(22), respectively.
b. Add new paragraphs (c)(19) and (20) to read as follows:
Registration, recordation and related services          Fees ($)
(19) Notice of contact information for transmitting entities         105
publicly performing pre-1972 sound recordings by means of
digital audio transmission, or amendment of contact
Alternate names (each).......................................         35
(20) Schedule of pre-1972 sound recordings (single title)....         75
Additional titles (per group of 1 to 100 titles).............         10
3. Amend Sec.  201.4 by adding paragraphs (b)(12) and (13) to read as
Sec.  201.4  Recordation of transfers and other documents pertaining to
(12) Notices of contact information for transmitting entities
publicly performing pre-1972 sound recordings by means of digital audio
transmission (17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(B); see Sec.  201.36).
(13) Schedules of pre-1972 sound recordings (17 U.S.C.
1401(f)(5)(A); see Sec.  201.35).
4. Add Sec.  201.35 to read as follows:
Sec.  201.35  Schedules of pre-1972 sound recordings.
(a) General. This section prescribes the rules under which rights
owners, pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(A), may file schedules listing
their pre-1972 sound recordings with the Copyright Office to be
eligible for statutory damages and/or attorneys' fees for violations of
17 U.S.C. 1401(a).
(1) Unless otherwise specified, the terms used have the meanings
set forth in 17 U.S.C. 1401.
(2) A pre-1972 sound recording is a sound recording fixed before
(c) Form and submission. A rights owner seeking to comply with 17
U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(A) must submit a schedule listing the owner's pre-
1972 sound recordings using an appropriate form provided by the
Copyright Office on its website and following the instructions for
completion and submission provided on the Office's website or the form
itself. The Office may reject any submission that fails to comply with
(d) Content. A schedule of pre-1972 sound recordings shall contain
(1) For each sound recording listed, the right's owner name, sound
recording title, and featured artist;
(2) A certification that the individual submitting the schedule of
pre-1972 sound recordings has appropriate authority to submit the
schedule and that all information submitted to the Office is true,
accurate, and complete to the best of the individual's knowledge,
information, and belief, and is made in good faith.
(3) For each sound recording listed, the rights owner may opt to
include additional information as permitted and in the format specified
by the Office's form or instructions, such as publication date, or
alternate title information.
(e) Transfer of rights ownership. If ownership of a pre-1972 sound
recording changes after its inclusion in a schedule filed with the
Office under this section, the Office will consider the schedule to be
effective as to any successor in interest. A successor in interest may,
but is not required, to file a new schedule under this section.
(f) Legal sufficiency of schedules. The Copyright Office does not
review schedules submitted under paragraph (c) of this section for
or discrepancies. The Office's review is limited to whether the
procedural requirements established by the Office (including payment of
the proper filing fee) have been met. Rights owners are therefore
cautioned to review and scrutinize schedules to assure their legal
sufficiency before submitting them to the Office.
(g) Filing date. The date of filing of a schedule of pre-1972 sound
recordings is the date when a proper submission, including the
prescribed fee, is received in the Copyright Office. The filing date
may not necessarily be the same date that the schedule, for purposes of
17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(A)(i)(II), is indexed into the Office's public
(h) Fee. The filing fee to submit a schedule of pre-1972 sound
recordings pursuant to this section is prescribed in Sec.  201.3(c).
(i) Third-party notification. A person may request timely
notification of filings made under this section by following the
instructions provided by the Copyright Office on its website.
5. Add Sec.  201.36 to read as follows:
Sec.  201.36  Notices of contact information for transmitting entities
publicly performing pre-1972 sound recordings.
(a) General. This section prescribes the rules under which
transmitting entities may file contact information with the Copyright
Office pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(B).
(3) A transmitting entity is an entity that, as of October 11,
2018, publicly performs pre-1972 sound recordings by means of digital
(c) Form and submission. A transmitting entity seeking to comply
with 17 U.S.C. 1401(f)(5)(B) must submit contact information using an
appropriate form specified by the Copyright Office on its website and
following the instructions for completion and submission provided on
the Office's website or the form itself. The Office may reject any
submission that fails to comply with these requirements. No notice or
amended notice received after April 9, 2019 will be accepted by the
(d) Content. A notice submitted under paragraph (c) of this section
shall contain the following, in addition to any other information
required on the Office's form or website:
(1) The full legal name, email address, and physical street address
of the transmitting entity to which rights owners should send
notifications of claimed violations of 17 U.S.C. 1401(a). A post office
box may not be substituted for the street address of a transmitting
entity. Related or affiliated transmitting entities that are separate
legal entities (e.g., corporate parents and subsidiaries) are
considered separate transmitting entities, and each must file its own
separate notice of contact information.
(2) The website(s) and/or application(s) through which the
transmitting entity publicly performs pre-1972 sound recordings by
means of digital audio transmission.
(3) A certification that the transmitting entity was publicly
performing pre-1972 sound recordings by means of digital audio
transmission as of October 11, 2018.
(4) A certification that the individual submitting the notice has
appropriate authority to submit the notice and that all information
the individual's knowledge, information, and belief, and is made in
(5) The transmitting entity may opt to include alternate names for
which the transmitting entity seeks application of 17 U.S.C.
1401(f)(5)(B)(iii), such as names that the public would be likely to
use to search for the transmitting entity in the Copyright Office's
online directory of transmitting entities publicly performing pre-1972
sound recordings by means of digital audio transmission, including
names under which the transmitting entity is doing business and other
commonly used names. Separate legal entities are not considered
(e) Fee. The filing fee to submit a notice of contact information
pursuant to this section is prescribed in Sec.  201.3(c).
[FR Doc. 2018-22518 Filed 10-15-18; 8:45 am]