Statutory Cable, Satellite, and DART License Reporting Practices

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Library of Congress Copyright Office 37 CFR Part 201 [Docket No. 2005-6] AGENCY: U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The U.S. Copyright Office (“Office”) is issuing a final rule governing royalty reporting practices of cable operators, and the Statement of Account form and filing requirements. This final rule makes regulatory changes regarding procedures for cable system operators. In some areas, similar changes are being made to the regulations governing statutory licenses for satellite carriers and digital audio recording devices or media. DATES: Effective January 27, 2025. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rhea Efthimiadis, Assistant to the General Counsel, by email at meft@copyright.gov , or by telephone at 202-707-8350. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background A. Statutory Background Section 111 of the Copyright Act (“Act”), title 17 of the United States Code, provides cable operators with a statutory license to retransmit a performance or display of a work embodied in a “primary transmission” made by a television station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”). Cable operators that retransmit broadcast signals in accordance with this provision are required to pay royalty fees to the Copyright Office (“Office”), among other requirements. The royalty amounts are determined based on a specified percentage of cable operators' reported gross receipts collected fo…