Library of Congress – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Copyright Office is proposing to amend its regulations pertaining to the registration of architectural works. To improve the efficiency of this process, applicants will be required to submit their claims through the online application process, rather than a paper application, and they will be encouraged to upload a digital copy of their works through the electronic registration system, instead of submitting a physical copy. The proposed rule also clarifies that a date of construction is needed only if the architectural work was embodied in unpublished plans or drawings on or before December 1, 1990 and if the work was constructed before January 1, 2003. The Office invites public comment on the proposed changes.

The U.S. Copyright Office is issuing a notice of inquiry regarding the Musical Works Modernization Act, title I of the Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act (``MMA''), enacted on October 11, 2018. The MMA made significant modifications to the compulsory license in section 115 of title 17 for making and distributing phonorecords of musical works (the ``mechanical license''). Among the many changes to the section 115 compulsory license, the MMA calls for establishing a collective to manage a new blanket licensing system governing licensed uses of musical works by digital music providers. The Register of Copyrights is directed to designate the mechanical licensing collective and the digital licensee coordinator that will carry out key functions under the new blanket license. The Office now solicits information to identify the appropriate entities to be designated. The information received in response to this notice of inquiry will be publicly posted, and interested members of the public may publicly comment on the submissions. After consideration of the record material, the Register will publish a notice in the Federal Register setting forth the identity of and contact information for the mechanical licensing collective and digital licensee coordinator, and the reasons for the designations.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce their final determination of the rates and terms for the digital transmission of sound recordings and the reproduction of ephemeral recordings by preexisting subscription services and preexisting satellite digital audio radio services for the period beginning January 1, 2018, and ending on December 31, 2027.

The U.S. Copyright Office is issuing interim regulations pursuant to the Musical Works Modernization Act, title I of the recently enacted Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act. This interim rule amends the Office's existing regulations pertaining to the compulsory license to make and distribute phonorecords of musical works so as to conform the existing regulations to the new law, including with respect to the operation of notices of intention and statements of account, and to make other minor technical updates. To be clear, this interim rule is generally directed at the present transition period before a blanket license is offered by a mechanical licensing collective and does not include regulatory updates that may be required in connection with the future offering of that blanket license; such updates will be the subject of future rulemakings. These regulations are issued on an interim basis with opportunity for public comment to avoid delay in making these necessary updates and clarifications and because they are technical in nature. The Office welcomes comment on these interim regulations.

The Copyright Royalty Judges (Judges) publish a final rule requiring affected cable systems to pay a separate per-telecast royalty (a Sports Surcharge) in addition to the other royalties that those cable systems must pay under Section 111 of the Copyright Act.

The U.S. Copyright Office is amending its regulations governing the group registration options for newsletters and serials. With respect to group newsletters, the final rule amends the definition of ``newsletter,'' eliminating the requirement that each issue must be a work made for hire, and the provision stating that group newsletter claims must be received within three months after publication. Under the final rule, newsletter publishers now should register their issues with the online application and upload a digital copy of each issue through the electronic registration system instead of submitting them in a physical form. With respect to group serials, the final rule clarifies that serials governed by the rule generally must be published at intervals of a week or longer, and that the publication dates provided in the application need not match the dates appearing on the issues themselves. In addition, the rule phases out the paper application for group serials and the submission of physical copies. Beginning one year after the rule goes into effect, serial publishers will be required to use the online application for group serials and to upload a digital copy of each issue, rather than submitting them in a physical form. The final rule updates the regulations for both newsletters and serials by confirming that publishers do not need to provide the Library of Congress with complimentary subscriptions to or microfilm of each issue as a condition for registering their works with the Office, but newsletter and serial issues that are submitted for purposes of registration will no longer satisfy the mandatory deposit requirement. Publishers will be expected to separately provide the Library with two complimentary subscriptions if the newsletter or serial is published in the United States in a physical format (unless the publisher is informed that the publication is not needed for the Library's collections). If the newsletter or serial is published solely in electronic form, the publisher will remain exempt from mandatory deposit unless the Office issues a formal demand for copies of that publication.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 2.5% in the royalty rates satellite carriers pay for a compulsory license under the Copyright Act. The COLA is based on the change in the Consumer Price Index from October 2017 to October 2018.

On November 5, 2018, the Copyright Royalty Judges solicited comments and proposals regarding necessary and appropriate modifications and amendments to agency regulations following enactment of a new law regarding the music industry. The comment period, which was set to expire on November 26, 2018, has been extended to December 10, 2018.

The Copyright Office is extending the deadline for the submission of written comments in response to its October 16, 2018 notice of inquiry regarding the Classics Protection and Access Act, title II of the recently enacted Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act.

The Copyright Royalty Judges (Judges) publish a notice of inquiry regarding necessary and appropriate modifications and amendments to agency regulations following enactment of a new law regarding the music industry.

The U.S. Copyright Office is building a new registration system to meet the demands of the digital age. As the Office develops a new technological infrastructure for this system, it is considering several legal and policy changes to improve user experience, increase Office efficiency, and decrease processing times. The Office is seeking public comment to inform its decisions on how to improve the regulations and practices related to the registration of copyright claims.

The U.S. Copyright Office is issuing a notice of inquiry regarding the Classics Protection and Access Act, title II of the recently enacted Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act. In connection with the establishment of federal remedies for unauthorized uses of sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972 (``Pre-1972 Sound Recordings''), Congress also established an exception for certain noncommercial uses of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings that are not being commercially exploited. To qualify for this exemption, a user must file a notice of noncommercial use after conducting a good faith, reasonable search to determine whether the Pre-1972 Sound Recording is being commercially exploited, and the rights owner of the sound recording must not object to the use within 90 days. To promulgate the regulations required by the new statute, the Office is soliciting comments regarding specific steps that a user should take to demonstrate she has made a good faith, reasonable search. The Office also solicits comments regarding the filing requirements for the user to submit a notice of noncommercial use and for a rights owner to submit a notice objecting to such use.

The Copyright Royalty Judges (Judges) are correcting one of the references to a docket number in a proposed rule that appeared in the Federal Register on July 30, 2018, and are reopening for an additional fourteen days the period for comments on modified proposed regulations to require affected cable systems to pay a separate per- telecast royalty (a Sports Surcharge) in addition to the other royalties that those cable systems must pay under Section 111 of the Copyright Act.

The Copyright Royalty Judges (Judges) publish for comment modified proposed regulations to require affected cable systems to pay a separate per-telecast royalty (a Sports Surcharge) in addition to the other royalties that those cable systems must pay under Section 111 of the Copyright Act.

The Copyright Office is extending the deadline for the submission of written comments in response to its May 24, 2018 notice of proposed rulemaking proposing the adoption of a new fee schedule.

The U.S. Copyright Office is extending the deadline for the submission of written comments in response to its May 17, 2018 notice of proposed rulemaking regarding amendments to its regulation governing the group registration option for newsletters.

The Copyright Royalty Judges solicit comments on a motion for partial distribution of 2016 cable royalty funds.

The Copyright Office is proposing the adoption of a new fee schedule. The proposed fees would help the Office recover a significant part, though not the whole, of its costs. The Office is providing an opportunity to the public to comment on the proposed changes before it submits the fee schedule to Congress.

The U.S. Copyright Office is proposing to update its regulation governing the group registration option for serialsworks such as magazines and journals. The proposed rule will make a number of changes to reflect current Office practices, promote efficiency of the registration process, and encourage broader participation in the registration system by reducing the burden on applicants. Specifically, the proposed rule will require applicants to file an online application rather than a paper application, and upload a complete digital copy of each issue through the electronic registration system instead of submitting them in physical form. It will update the eligibility requirements for this group option in several respects, such as clarifying that each issue must be published under the same continuing title. In addition, the proposed rule will remove the requirement that the claimant provide the Library of Congress with two complimentary subscriptions to that serial as a condition for using the group registration option. Under the proposed rule, however, serial publishers will remain subject to the mandatory deposit requirement. Specifically, if a serial is published in the United States in a physical format, the publisher must send complimentary subscriptions to the Library, unless it is informed that the serial title is not needed for the Library's collection. Serials published only in electronic form will continue to be subject to the existing on-demand mandatory deposit regime. The Office invites public comment on these proposed changes.

The U.S. Copyright Office is further extending the deadline for the submission of written comments in response to its April 16, 2018 notice of proposed rulemaking, regarding revisions to its regulations to finalize a 2010 interim rule regarding mandatory deposit of electronic-only works, and to make electronic-only books published in the United States subject to the mandatory deposit requirements if they are affirmatively demanded by the Office.

The United States Copyright Office is extending the deadlines for the submission of written comments in response to its December 1, 2017 notice of proposed rulemaking concerning the royalty reporting practices of cable operators under section 111 and proposed revisions to the Statement of Account forms, and on proposed amendments to the Statement of Account filing requirements.

The United States Copyright Office will be holding public hearings as part of the seventh triennial rulemaking proceeding under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (``DMCA'') concerning possible exemptions to the DMCA's prohibition against circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works. The public hearings will be held in April 2018 in Washington, DC and Los Angeles. Parties interested in testifying at the public hearings are invited to submit requests to testify pursuant to the instructions set forth below.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce receipt of three notices of intent to audit the 2013, 2014, and 2015 statements of account submitted by commercial webcaster and broadcaster Alpha Media LLC and by commercial webcasters Google Inc. and Music Choice \1\ concerning royalty payments each made pursuant to two statutory licenses.

The U.S. Copyright Office is modernizing its practices to increase the efficiency of the group registration option for photographs. This final rule modifies the procedure for registering groups of published photographs (GRPPH), and establishes a similar procedure for registering groups of unpublished photographs (GRUPH). Applicants will be required to use a new online application specifically designed for each option, instead of using a paper application, and will be allowed to include up to 750 photographs in each claim. The ``unpublished collection'' option (which allows an unlimited number of photographs to be registered with one application), and the ``pilot program'' (which allows an unlimited number of published photographs to be registered with the application designed for one work) will be eliminated. The corresponding ``pilot program'' for photographic databases will remain in effect for the time being. The final rule modernizes the deposit requirements by requiring applicants to submit their photographs in a digital format when using GRPPH, GRUPH, or the pilot program for photographic databases, along with a separate document containing a list of the titles and file names for each photograph. The final rule revises the eligibility requirements for GRPPH and GRUPH by providing that all the photographs must be created by the same ``author'' (a term that includes an employer or other person for whom a work is made for hire), and clarifying that they do not need to be created by the same photographer or published within the same country. It also confirms that a group registration issued under GRPHH or GRUPH covers each photograph in the group, each photograph is registered as a separate work, and the group as a whole is not considered a compilation or a collective work.

The U.S. Copyright Office is further extending the deadline for the submission of written comments in response to its June 12, 2017 and November 13, 2017 interim rules, regarding changes to the special procedure for examining secure tests, and the creation of a new group registration option for secure tests, respectively.