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Satellite Home Viewer Act
Title 17 USCS Sec. 119
ß119. Limitations on exclusive rights:
Secondary transmissions of superstations and network stations for private home viewing
Code of Federal Regulations References
Secondary transmissions by satellite carriers.
- Superstations.
Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (3), (4), and (6) of this subsection, secondary
transmissions of a primary transmission made by a superstation and embodying a performance
or display of a work shall be subject to statutory licensing under this section if the
secondary transmission is made by a satellite carrier to the public for private home
viewing, and the carrier makes a direct or indirect charge for each retransmission service
to each household receiving the secondary transmission or to a distributor that has
contracted with the carrier for direct or indirect delivery of the secondary transmission
to the public for private home viewing.
- Network stations.
- In general.
Subject to the provisions of subparagraphs (B) and (C) of this paragraph and paragraphs
(3), (4), (5), and (6) of this subsection, secondary transmissions of programming
contained in a primary transmission made by a network station and embodying a performance
or display of a work shall be subject to statutory licensing under this section if the
secondary transmission is made by a satellite carrier to the public for private home
viewing, and the carrier makes a direct or indirect charge for such retransmission service
to each subscriber receiving the secondary transmission.
- Secondary transmissions to unserved households.
The statutory license provided for in subparagraph (A) shall be limited to secondary
transmissions to persons who reside in unserved households.
- Submission of subscriber lists to networks.
A satellite carrier that makes secondary transmissions of a primary transmission made by a
network station pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall, 90 days after commencing such
secondary transmissions, submit to the network that owns or is affiliated with the network
station a list identifying (by name and street address, including county and zip code) all
subscribers to which the satellite carrier currently makes secondary transmissions of that
primary transmission. Thereafter, on the 15th of each month, the satellite carrier shall
submit to the network a list identifying (by name and street address, including county and
zip code) any persons who have been added or dropped as such subscribers since the last
submission under this subparagraph. Such subscriber information submitted by a satellite
carrier may be used only for purposes of monitoring compliance by the satellite carrier
with this subsection. The submission requirements of this subparagraph shall apply to a
satellite carrier only if the network to whom the submissions are to be made places on
file with the Register of Copyrights a document identifying the name and address of the
person to whom such submissions are to be made. The Register shall maintain for public
inspection a file of all such documents.
- Noncompliance with reporting and payment requirements.
Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2), the willful or repeated
secondary transmission to the public by a satellite carrier of a primary transmission made
by a superstation or a network station and embodying a performance or display of a work is
actionable as an act of infringement under section 501, and is fully subject to the
remedies provided by sections 502 through 506 and 509, where the satellite carrier has not
deposited the statement of account and royalty fee required by subsection (b), or has
failed to make the submissions to networks required by paragraph (2)(C).
- Willful alterations.
Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2), the secondary transmission to
the public by a satellite carrier of a primary transmission made by a superstation or a
network station and embodying a performance or display of a work is actionable as an act
of infringement under section 501, and is fully subject to the remedies provided by
sections 502 through 506 and sections 509 and 510, if the content of the particular
program in which the performance or display is embodied, or any commercial advertising or
station announcement transmitted by the primary transmitter during, or immediately before
or after, the transmission of such program, is in any way willfully altered by the
satellite carrier through changes, deletions, or additions, or is combined with
programming from any other broadcast signal.
- Violation of territorial restrictions on statutory license for network stations.
- Individual violations.
The willful or repeated secondary transmission by a satellite carrier of a primary
transmission made by a network station and embodying a performance or display of a work to
a subscriber who does not reside in an unserved household is actionable as an act of
infringement under section 501 and is fully subject to the remedies provided by sections
502 through 506 and 509, except that--
- no damages shall be awarded for such act of infringement if the satellite carrier took
corrective action by promptly withdrawing service from the ineligible subscriber, and
- any statutory damages shall not exceed $5 for such subscriber for each month during
which the violation occurred.
- Pattern of violations.
If a satellite carrier engages in a willful or repeated pattern or practice of delivering
a primary transmission made by a network station and embodying a performance or display of
a work to subscribers who do not reside in unserved households, then in addition to the
remedies set forth in subparagraph (A)--
- if the pattern or practice has been carried out on a substantially nationwide basis, the
court shall order a permanent injunction barring the secondary transmission by the
satellite carrier, for private home viewing, of the primary transmissions of any primary
network station affiliated with the same network, and the court may order statutory
damages of not to exceed $250,000 for each 6-month period during which the pattern or
practice was carried out; and
- if the pattern or practice has been carried out on a local or regional basis, the court
shall order a permanent injunction barring the secondary transmission, for private home
viewing in that locality or region, by the satellite carrier of the primary transmissions
of any primary network station affiliated with the same network, and the court may order
statutory damages of not to exceed $250,000 for each 6-month period during which the
pattern or practice was carried out.
- Previous subscribers excluded.
Subparagraphs (A) and (B) do not apply to secondary transmissions by a satellite carrier
to persons who subscribed to receive such secondary transmissions from the satellite
carrier or a distributor before the date of the enactment of this section [enacted Oct.
18, 1994].
- Burden of proof.
[Caution: For effective date of this subparagraph, see ß6(b) of Act Oct. 18, 1994, which
appears as a note to this section] In any action brought under this paragraph, the
satellite carrier shall have the burden of proving that its secondary transmission of a
primary transmission by a network station is for private home viewing to an unserved
household.
- Discrimination by a satellite carrier.
Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1), the willful or repeated secondary
transmission to the public by a satellite carrier of a primary transmission made by a
superstation or a network station and embodying a performance or display of a work is
actionable as an act of infringement under section 501, and is fully subject to the
remedies provided by sections 502 through 506 and 509, if the satellite carrier unlawfully
discriminates against a distributor.
- Geographic limitation on secondary transmissions. The statutory license created
by this section shall apply only to secondary transmissions to households located in the
United States.
- Transitional signal intensity measurement procedures.
- In general.
Subject to subparagraph (C), upon a challenge by a network station regarding whether a
subscriber is an unserved household within the predicted Grade B Contour of the station,
the satellite carrier shall, within 60 days after the receipt of the challenge‚‚
- terminate service to that household of the signal that is the subject of the challenge,
and within 30 days thereafter notify the network station that made the challenge that
service to that household has been terminated; or
- conduct a measurement of the signal intensity of the subscriber's household to determine
whether the household is an unserved household after giving reasonable notice to the
network station of the satellite carrier's intent to conduct the measurement.
- Effect of measurement.
If the satellite carrier conducts a signal intensity measurement under subparagraph (A)
and the measurement indicates that‚‚
- the household is not an unserved household, the satellite carrier shall, within 60 days
after the measurement is conducted, terminate the service to that household of the signal
that is the subject of the challenge, and within 30 days thereafter notify the network
station that made the challenge that service to that household has been terminated; or
- the household is an unserved household, the station challenging the service shall
reimburse the satellite carrier for the costs of the signal measurement within 60 days
after receipt of the measurement results and a statement of the costs of the measurement.
- Limitation on measurements.
- (i) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a satellite carrier may not be required to conduct
signal intensity measurements during any calendar year in excess of 5 percent of the
number of subscribers within the network station's local market that have subscribed to
the service as of the effective date of the Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1994.
- (If a network station challenges whether a subscriber is an unserved household in excess
of 5 percent of the subscribers within the network's station local market within a
calendar year, subparagraph (A) shall not apply to challenges in excess of such 5 percent,
but the station may conduct its own signal intensity measurement of the subscriber's
household after giving reasonable notice to the satellite carrier of the network station's
intent to conduct the measurement. If such measurement indicates that the household is not
an unserved household, the carrier shall, within 60 days after receipt of the measurement,
terminate service to the household of the signal that is the subject of the challenge and
within 30 days thereafter notify the network station that made the challenge that service
has been terminated. The carrier shall also, within 60 days after receipt of the
measurement and a statement of the costs of the measurement, reimburse the network station
for the cost it incurred in conducting the measurement.
- Outside the predicted Grade B contour.
- If a network station challenges whether a subscriber is an unserved household outside
the predicted Grade B Contour of the station, the station may conduct a measurement of the
signal intensity of the subscriber's household to determine whether the household is an
unserved household after giving reasonable notice to the satellite carrier of the network
station's intent to conduct the measurement.
- If the network station conducts a signal intensity measurement under clause (i) and the
measurement indicates that‚‚
- the household is not an unserved household, the station shall forward the results to the
satellite carrier who shall, within 60 days after receipt of the measurement, terminate
the service to the household of the signal that is the subject of the challenge, and shall
reimburse the station for the costs of the measurement within 60 days after receipt of the
measurement results and a statement of such costs; or
- the household is an unserved household, the station shall pay the costs of the
measurement.
- Loser pays for signal intensity measurement; recovery of measurement costs in a civil
action.
In any civil action filed relating to the eligibility of subscribing households as
unserved households‚‚
- a network station challenging such eligibility shall, within 60 days after receipt of
the measurement results and a statement of such costs, reimburse the satellite carrier for
any signal intensity measurement that is conducted by that carrier in response to a
challenge by the network station and that establishes the household is an unserved
household; and
- a satellite carrier shall, within 60 days after receipt of the measurement results and a
statement of such costs, reimburse the network station challenging such eligibility for
any signal intensity measurement that is conducted by that station and that establishes
the household is not an unserved household.
- Inability to conduct measurement.
If a network station makes a reasonable attempt to conduct a site measurement of its
signal at a subscriber's household and is denied access for the purpose of conducting the
measurement, and is otherwise unable to conduct a measurement, the satellite carrier shall
within 60 days notice thereof, terminate service of the station's network to that
household.
Statutory license for secondary transmissions for private home viewing.
- Deposits with the Register of Copyrights.
A satellite carrier whose secondary transmissions are subject to statutory licensing under
subsection (a) shall, on a semiannual basis, deposit with the Register of Copyrights, in
accordance with requirements that the Register shall prescribe by regulation--
- a statement of account, covering the preceding 6-month period, specifying the names and
locations of all superstations and network stations whose signals were transmitted, at any
time during that period, to subscribers for private home viewing as described in
subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2), the total number of subscribers that received such
transmissions, and such other data as the Register of Copyrights may from time to time
prescribe by regulation; and
- a royalty fee for that 6-month period, computed by--
- multiplying the total number of subscribers receiving each secondary transmission of a
superstation during each calendar month by 17.5 cents per subscriber in the case of
superstations not subject to syndicated exclusivity under the regulations of the Federal
Communications Commission, and 14 cents per subscriber in the case of superstations
subject to such syndicated exclusivity;
- multiplying the number of subscribers receiving each secondary transmission of a network
station during each calendar month by 6 cents; and
- adding together the totals computed under clauses (i) and (ii).
- Investment of fees.
The Register of Copyrights shall receive all fees deposited under this section and, after
deducting the reasonable costs incurred by the Copyright Office under this section (other
than the costs deducted under paragraph (4)), shall deposit the balance in the Treasury of
the United States, in such manner as the Secretary of the Treasury directs. All funds held
by the Secretary of the Treasury shall be invested in interest-bearing securities of the
United States for later distribution with interest by the Librarian of Congress as
provided by this title.
- Persons to whom fees are distributed.
The royalty fees deposited under paragraph (2) shall, in accordance with the procedures
provided by paragraph (4), be distributed to those copyright owners whose works were
included in a secondary transmission for private home viewing made by a satellite carrier
during the applicable 6-month accounting period and who file a claim with the Librarian of
Congress under paragraph (4).
- Procedures for distribution.
The royalty fees deposited under paragraph (2) shall be distributed in accordance with the
following procedures:
- Filing of claims for fees.
During the month of July in each year, each person claiming to be entitled to statutory
license fees for secondary transmissions for private home viewing shall file a claim with
the Librarian of Congress, in accordance with requirements that the Librarian of Congress
shall prescribe by regulation. For purposes of this paragraph, any claimants may agree
among themselves as to the proportionate division of statutory license fees among them,
may lump their claims together and file them jointly or as a single claim, or may
designate a common agent to receive payment on their behalf.
- Determination of controversy; distributions.
After the first day of August of each year, the Librarian of Congress shall determine
whether there exists a controversy concerning the distribution of royalty fees. If the
Librarian of Congress determines that no such controversy exists, the Librarian of
Congress shall, after deducting reasonable administrative costs under this paragraph,
distribute such fees to the copyright owners entitled to receive them, or to their
designated agents. If the Librarian of Congress finds the existence of a controversy, the
Librarian of Congress shall, pursuant to chapter 8 of this title [17 USCS ßß801 et
seq.], convene a copyright arbitration royalty panel to determine the distribution of
royalty fees.
- Withholding of fees during controversy.
During the pendency of any proceeding under this subsection, the Librarian of Congress
shall withhold from distribution an amount sufficient to satisfy all claims with respect
to which a controversy exists, but shall have discretion to proceed to distribute any
amounts that are not in controversy.
Adjustment of royalty fees.
- Applicability and determination of royalty fees.
The rate of the royalty fee payable under subsection (b)(1)(B) shall be effective unless a
royalty fee is established under paragraph (2), (3), or (4) of this subsection. After that
date, the fee shall be determined either in accordance with the voluntary negotiation
procedure specified in paragraph (2) or in accordance with the compulsory arbitration
procedure specified in paragraphs (3) and (4).
- Fee set by voluntary negotiation.
- Notice of initiation of proceedings.
On or before July 1, 1996, the Librarian of Congress shall cause notice to be published in
the Federal Register of the initiation of voluntary negotiation proceedings for the
purpose of determining the royalty fee to be paid by satellite carriers under subsection
(b)(1)(B).
- Negotiations.
Satellite carriers, distributors, and copyright owners entitled to royalty fees under this
section shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to reach a voluntary agreement or
voluntary agreements for the payment of royalty fees. Any such satellite carriers,
distributors, and copyright owners may at any time negotiate and agree to the royalty fee,
and may designate common agents to negotiate, agree to, or pay such fees. If the parties
fail to identify common agents, the Librarian of Congress shall do so, after requesting
recommendations from the parties to the negotiation proceeding. The parties to each
negotiation proceeding shall bear the entire cost thereof.
- Agreements binding on parties; filing of agreements.
Voluntary agreements negotiated at any time in accordance with this paragraph shall be
binding upon all satellite carriers, distributors, and copyright owners that are parties
thereto. Copies of such agreements shall be filed with the Copyright Office within 30 days
after execution in accordance with regulations that the Register of Copyrights shall
prescribe.
- Period agreement is in effect.
The obligation to pay the royalty fees established under a voluntary agreement which has
been filed with the Copyright Office in accordance with this paragraph shall become
effective on the date specified in the agreement, and shall remain in effect until
December 31, 1999, or in accordance with the terms of the agreement, whichever is later.
- Fee set by compulsory arbitration.
- Notice of initiation of proceedings.
On or before January 1, 1997, the Librarian of Congress shall cause notice to be published
in the Federal Register of the initiation of arbitration proceedings for the purpose of
determining a reasonable royalty fee to be paid under subsection (b)(1)(B) by satellite
carriers who are not parties to a voluntary agreement filed with the Copyright Office in
accordance with paragraph (2). Such arbitration proceeding shall be conducted under
chapter 8 [17 USCS ßß801 et seq.].
- Factors for determining royalty fees.
In determining royalty fees under this paragraph, the copyright arbitration royalty panel
appointed under chapter 8 (17 USCS ßß801 et seq.] shall consider the approximate average
cost to a cable system for the right to secondarily transmit to the public a primary
transmission made by a broadcast station, the fee established under any voluntary
agreement filed with the Copyright Office in accordance with paragraph (2), and the last
fee proposed by the parties, before proceedings under this paragraph, for the secondary
transmission of superstations or network stations for private home viewing. The fee shall
also be calculated to achieve the following objectives:
- To maximize the availability of creative works to the public.
- To afford the copyright owner a fair return for his or her creative work and the
copyright user a fair income under existing economic conditions.
- To reflect the relative roles of the copyright owner and the copyright user in the
product made available to the public with respect to relative creative contribution,
technological contribution, capital investment, cost, risk, and contribution to the
opening of new markets for creative expression and media for their communication.
- To minimize any disruptive impact on the structure of the industries involved and on
generally prevailing industry practices.
- Period during which decision of arbitration panel or order of Librarian effective.
The obligation to pay the royalty fee established under a determination which--
- is made by a copyright arbitration royalty panel in an arbitration proceeding under this
paragraph and is adopted by the Librarian of Congress under section 802(f), or
- is established by the Librarian of Congress under section 802(f), shall become effective
as provided in section 802(g) or July 1, 1997, whichever is later.
- Establishment of royalty fees.
In determining royalty fees under this paragraph, the Copyright Arbitration Panel shall
establish fees for the retransmission of network stations and superstations that most
clearly represent the fair market value of secondary transmissions. In determining the
fair market value, the Panel shall base its decision on economic, competitive, and
programming information presented by the parties, including‚‚
- the competitive environment in which such programming is distributed, the cost for
similar signals in similar private and compulsory license marketplaces, and any special
features and conditions of the retransmission marketplace;
- the economic impact of such fees on copyright owners and satellite carriers; and
- the impact on the continued availability of secondary transmissions to the public.
- [Repealed]
- [Repealed]
- [Redesignated]
- [Redesignated]
- [Repealed]
Definitions. As used in this section--
- Distributor.
The term "distributor" means an entity which contracts to distribute secondary
transmissions from a satellite carrier and, either as a single channel or in a package
with other programming, provides the secondary transmission either directly to individual
subscribers for private home viewing or indirectly through other program distribution
entities.
- Network station.
The term "network station" means‚‚
- a television broadcast station, including any translator station or terrestrial
satellite station that rebroadcasts all or substantially all of the programming broadcast
by a network station, that is owned or operated by, or affiliated with, one or more of the
television networks in the United States which offer an interconnected program service on
a regular basis for 15 or more hours per week to at least 25 of its affiliated television
licensees in 10 or more States; or
- a noncommercial educational broadcast station (as defined in section 397 of the
Communications Act of 1934 [47 USCS ß397]).
- Primary network station.
The term "primary network station" means a network station that broadcasts or
rebroadcasts the basic programming service of a particular national network.
- Primary transmission.
The term "primary transmission" has the meaning given that term in section
111(f) of this title.
- Private home viewing.
The term "private home viewing" means the viewing, for private use in a
household by means of satellite reception equipment which is operated by an individual in
that household and which serves only such household, of a secondary transmission delivered
by a satellite carrier of a primary transmission of a television station licensed by the
Federal Communications Commission.
- Satellite carrier.
The term "satellite carrier" means an entity that uses the facilities of a
satellite or satellite service licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and
operates in the Fixed-Satellite Service under part 25 of title 47 of the Code of Federal
Regulations or the Direct Broadcast Satellite Service under part 100 of title 47 of the
Code of Federal Regulations, to establish and operate a channel of communications for
point-to-multipoint distribution of television station signals, and that owns or leases a
capacity or service on a satellite in order to provide such point-to-multipoint
distribution, except to the extent that such entity provides such distribution pursuant to
tariff under the Communications Act of 1934, other than for private home viewing.
- Secondary transmission.
The term "secondary transmission" has the meaning given that term in section
111(f) of this title.
- Subscriber.
The term "subscriber" means an individual who receives a secondary transmission
service for private home viewing by means of a secondary transmission from a satellite
carrier and pays a fee for the service, directly or indirectly, to the satellite carrier
or to a distributor.
- Superstation.
The term "superstation" means a television broadcast station, other than a
network station, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission that is secondarily
transmitted by a satellite carrier.
- Unserved household.
The term "unserved household", with respect to a particular television network,
means a household that--
- cannot receive, through the use of a conventional outdoor rooftop receiving antenna, an
over-the-air signal of grade B intensity (as defined by the Federal Communications
Commission) of a primary network station affiliated with that network, and
- has not, within 90 days before the date on which that household subscribes, either
initially or on renewal, to receive secondary transmissions by a satellite carrier of a
network station affiliated with that network, subscribed to a cable system that provides
the signal of a primary network station affiliated with that network.
- Local market.
The term "local market" means the area encompassed within a network station's
predicted Grade B contour as that contour is defined by the Federal Communications
Commission.
Exclusivity of this section with respect to secondary transmissions of broadcast
stations by satellite to members of the public.
No provision of section 111 of this title or any other law (other than this section) shall
be construed to contain any authorization, exemption, or license through which secondary
transmissions by satellite carrier for private home viewing of programming contained in a
primary transmission made by a superstation or a network station may be made without
obtaining the consent of the copyright owner.
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