Issue 275 -September 6, 2005

Copyright Office Posts SHVERA Study Comments

The Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act of 2004 (SHVERA), a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005, Pub. L. No. 108-447, directs the Copyright Office to conduct two studies and report its findings to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate. One study, due by December 31, 2005, requires the Office to examine select portions of the section 119 license and to determine what, if any, impact sections 119 and 122 have had on copyright owners whose programming is transmitted by satellite carriers. To assist in the preparation of this study, the Office published a Notice of Inquiry seeking comments on various aspects of the study and has received seven comments. Reply comments are due on September 22, 2005. To assist interested parties in preparing reply comments, the Office is making the initial comments available online. (View comments.)

Copies of the comments are also available for viewing in the Public Information Office of the Copyright Office, located in Room LM-401 of the James Madison Memorial Building of the Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue S.E., Washington, D.C.