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U.S. Copyright Office
NewsNet

August 17, 1998
Issue 18
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For additional information, visit the Copyright Office homepage at
http://www.copyright.gov.

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CONTENTS

* News*

1. Federal Register
     a. Office Compiles Specialty Station List (63 FR 41599)
     b. Office Publishes Ninth List of Notices of Intent to Enforce
Copyrights Restored Under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (63 FR 43829)
     c. Office Announces Proposed New Fee Schedule and Hearing on Fee
Increase (63 FR 43426)

2. Copyright Office News
     a. General Counsel David Carson Argues Case Before 9th Circuit
Court
     b. Office Prepares Factsheet on Unserved Households and Satellite
Delivery of Network Broadcast Stations

* Calendar*

* To Subscribe/Unsubscribe to NewsNet*


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* NEWS*

----------------Federal Register----------------

For the complete text of Federal Register announcements, visit the
Copyright Office homepage at http://www.copyright.gov .

CABLE COMPULSORY LICENSE: SPECIALTY STATION LIST (63 FR 41599)
The Copyright Office is compiling a new specialty station list to
identify commercial television broadcast stations that, according to
their owners, qualify as specialty stations for purposes of the former
distant signal carriage rules of the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC). Lists were published in 1990 and 1995, at which time the Office
stated that the specialty station list would be revised approximately
every 3 years. Accordingly, the Copyright Office is again requesting all
interested owners of television broadcast stations that qualify as
specialty stations, including those that previously filed affidavits, to
submit sworn affidavits to the Copyright Office by October 5, 1998,
stating that the programming of their stations meets certain
requirements under the FCC regulations in effect on June 24, 1998.

OFFICE PUBLISHES NINTH LIST OF NOTICES OF INTENT TO ENFORCE COPYRIGHTS
RESTORED UNDER THE URUGUAY ROUND AGREEMENTS ACT (63 FR 43829)
The Copyright Office is publishing its ninth list of restored copyrights
for which it has received and processed Notices of Intent to Enforce a
copyright restored under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. Publication
of the lists creates a record for the public to identify copyright
owners and works whose copyright has been restored for which Notices of
Intent to Enforce have been filed with the Copyright Office.

OFFICE ANNOUNCES PROPOSED NEW FEE SCHEDULE AND HEARING ON FEE
INCREASE(63 FR 43426)
The Office will hold a public hearing in the course of a proceeding
during which the Office proposes to increase the fees set forth in 17
U.S.C. 708(a). The proposed fees would recover a significant part of the
cost to the Office of (1) registering claims, including supplementary
and renewal claims, (2) recording documents, (3) issuing receipts for
deposits, (4) issuing additional certificates, and (5) making and
reporting searches. The hearing will be held October 1, 1998.


-------------Copyright Office News--------------

GENERAL COUNSEL DAVID CARSON ARGUES CASE BEFORE 9TH CIRCUIT COURT
On August 12, 1998, General Counsel David Carson argued the Copyright
Office's position before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of
Batjac Productions, Inc. v. Good Times Home Video and Marybeth Peters,
Register of Copyrights, which is on appeal from the U.S. District Court
for the Central District of California. A ruling is expected in several
months.

OFFICE PREPARES FACTSHEET ON UNSERVED HOUSEHOLDS AND SATELLITE DELIVERY
OF NETWORK BROADCAST STATIONS
The Copyright Office prepared a factsheet on unserved households and
satellite delivery of network broadcast stations in response to a recent
federal district court decision in the case of CBS, Inc. v. PrimeTime 24
Joint Venture. The court determined that a certain satellite carrier
violated the Satellite Home Viewer Act and must terminate its network
service to subscribers who do not reside in "unserved households." The
factsheet is available via fax or mail from the Licensing Division of
the Copyright Office. Call 202-707-5932. The factsheet is also on the
Copyright Office Website at http://www.copyright.gov under "What's
New."

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* CALENDAR *

August 14, 1998: Effective date of copyright restoration for copyrights
listed in the ninth list of restored copyrights

August 24, 1998: Effective date of rule amendment on how a cable system
shall calculate its royalty fees

September 10, 1998: Deadline for notifying the Copyright Office of a
desire to present oral testimony in the October 1 hearing

September 18, 1998: Deadline for filing initial written comments, both
from those who wish to present oral testimony and from and those who
plan only to file initial or reply comments, regarding the October 1
hearing on proposed fees

October 1, 1998: Public hearing on increase of fees set forth in 17
U.S.C. 708(a)

October 5, 1998: Deadline for filing of affidavits identifying specialty
stations

October 15, 1998: Deadline for filing reply comments regarding the
October 1 hearing


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