A Review of the Copyright Licensing Regimes Covering,... A Report of the Register of Copyrights... Appendix II... The Library of Congress... August 1, 1997

781 Pages·1997·194.5 MB·English

by  United States Library of Congress

A Review of
the Copyright Licensing
Regimes Covering
Retransmission of Broadcast
| Signals
Appendix II
Reply Comment Letters
RM-97-1
U.S. Copyright Office
August 1, 1997
A Review of the Copyright
Licensing Regimes Covering
Retransmission of Broadcast Signals
Appendix II
Reply Comment Letters
RM-97-1
U. S. Copyright Office
August 1, 1997
A Report of the Register of Copyrights
For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stap: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328
Vel. 1I SBN 0-16-049203-3
Vel. B ISON 0-16-049204-1
Vel.i ISBN 0-16-040205-X
Sa ISBN 0-16-049206-8
IN
CommenNto .
1 LIN Television Corporation
Gregory M. Schmidt, Vice President-
New Develaond pGemnereal nCotuns el
2 St. Croix Cable TV
ChriC. sCinntamono anpd Ehric eE. Brreis ach
(How&a Hrowadrd )
Attfoor rSt.n Croeix yCabsle TV
3 Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) 19
Dennis Lane
(Morrison & Hecker, L.L.P.)
Counsel for Motion Picture Association of America
4 Wireless CommuniAsscociaatiton iIntoernnatisona l,
Inc. ("WCA")
Nicholas W. Allard and Michael S. Wroblewski
(Lat&h Waatkmins )
Counsel for the Wireless Cable Association
InternationaIln,c .
§ SESIncA. (C"SE,SAC ")
Henry R. Kaufman, Senior Vice President
- General Counsel
6 Bell Atlaanndt iNYcNE X
Submitted on behalf of The Bell Atlantic
Telephone Companies and Bell Atlantic |
Video Services Company, and NYINEX Corporation)
Eric J. Schwartz
(Sm&i Mtetahlit z, L.L.P.)
Obne halfof :
Jodi B. Brenner, Counsel
Bell Atlantic
Terrence J. McAllister, Esq.
NYNEX
Comment No.
Independent Cable & Telecommunications
Association ("ICTA")
Deborah C. Costlow and Alan G. Fishel
(WINSTON & STRAWN)
Its Attorneys
David E. Parkhill, EVP/GM 61
Hamilton County Telephone Co-op
United States Telephone Association ("USTA")
Roy Neel, President and CEO
The Association of Local Television Stations, 71
Inc. ("ALTV")
James J. Popham, Vice President, General Counsel
American Society of Composers, Authors and
Publishers ("ASCAP")
I. Fred Koeniangd Jsoanb Me. MrcGigve rn
(Whi&t Cease )
Beverly A. Willett and Ross J. Charap
(ASCAP)
12 United Video Satellite Group, Inc. ("UVSG") 113
Raymond J. Duffy, Senior Vice President
(UVTV)
13 U S WEST, INC.
RobeJ.r Stach s
(The Pilot House
Lewis Wharf)
Brenda L. Fox
Julia K. Kane
Its Attorneys
14 National Public Radio, Inc. ("NPR")
NeAa. Jalcks on
Vice Presfior dLegeal nAftfai rs
GenCouenselr anad Selcret ary
Primetime2 4 1$3
Sid Amira, Chairamnda nCE O
The National Cable Television Association
DanLi. eBrelnne r
DiaB. nBureste in
Counsel for the National Cable Television Association, Inc.
IN
Comment No.
17 Cox Enterprises, Inc. ("Cox')
David J. Wittenstein
KevinJ . Kuzas
(Dow, Lohnes & AlbertsoPLnL,C)
18 Philip A. Rubin & Associates, Inc. ("PAR")
Philip A. Rubin, Consulting TelecommunEniginceear tanid Porensisden t
19 The Network Affiliated Stations Alliance ("NASA")
WaH.d Haergro ve
Counselt o
The Network Affiliated Stations Alliance
The Office of the Commissioof Bnaseebral l
RobAelanr Gtare tt
JuLl. Seiga ll
(Arn&o Plordter )
Attorneys for the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Of Counsel:
ThomasJ . Ostertag
350 Park Avenue, 17th Flor
New York, New York
21 The Recording Industry Association of America ("RIAA") 319
SteRv. eEngnlun d
(Arn&o Plordter )
Attorneys for the Recording Industry Association of America, Inc.
Of Counsel:
CaHr. Shyerm an
Senior Executive Vice President & General Counsel
The Satellite Broadcasting and CommunicatAsisoocinatsio n 329
of America
AndrRe. Pwau l
SenVicie Poresride nt
The Cable TelecommunAsisocciaatiton i(o"CnATsA" )
SteR.p Effhros,e Prnesid ent
Comment No.
25 Canadian Claimants Group 361
Janice de Freitas
Chairman, Canadian Claimants Group
DIRECTV, INC. 392
Gary M. Epstein
James H. barker
(LATHAM & WATKINS)
27 Broadcast Music, Inc. ("BMI") 412
Marvin L. Berenson, Sr. Vice Pres., & Gen. Coun.
Michael J. Remington
(DRINKER, BIDDLE & REATH LLP)
Its Attorneys
The Public BroadcastSiernvigc e
Paula A. Jameson, Sr. V.P., General Counsel and Secretary
Gregory FereDneputby aGenceralk C,ouns el
OCfo unsel:
Timothy C.
Carolyn F. Corwin
Michele J. Woods
(COVINGTON & BURLING)
29 AudioNet, Inc.
Mark Cuban, President
The National Association of Broadcasters
Henry L. Baumann
Benjamin F.P. Ivins
Declaration of Michael J. Remington
Engineering Statement of Jules Cohen
Declaration of Richard Boyce
Exhibits
31 National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative
B.R. Phillips, III, Chief Executive Officer
Steven T. Berman, Senior Vice President
Jack Richards
Paula Deza
(KELLER AND HECKMAN, LLP)
Its Attorneys
32 ABC, INC. ("ABC")
CommenNto .
Small Cable Business Association 734
ErE.i Brceisa ch
ChristopherC . Cinnamon
Kim D. Crooks
(How&a Hrowdard )
Attorneys for the Smali Cable Business Association
West Florida Ele:tric Cooperative, Inc. 7169
Gary F. Clark, Manager of Marketing and Economic Development
(National Rural Electric C...perative Association)
35 CaCann Mu sic 772
James Cannings, Owner
COVINGTON & BURLING
i201 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE. N. W.
P.O. BOX 7566
WASHINGTON, 0.C. 20044-7566
NEIL K. ROMAN LECONFIELD HOUSE
(202) 662-6000
DIRECT DIAL NUMBER CURZON STREET
(202) 66-2 560 5 oe Rn nnn iA SIMILE: [phone] LONOoOuNn WciYo mB AS
DIRECT FACSIMILE NUMB Camimet Letter TELEPHONE. 44-7!-495-568S
[phone] FACSIMILE: 44-171-495-310!
NROMANOCOV.COM @RUSSELS OFFICE
RM g” - § KUNSTLAAN 44 AVENUE DES ARTS
e x June 13, 1997 yeu
/ . FACSIMILE: ret
——— [BENeRaL COUNSER
BY MESSENGER OF COPYRIGHT, i
William Roberts, Esq. JUN a3 1997.
Senior Attorney -
Copyright Office, Library of Congress ; RECEIVED
James Madison Memorial Building, Room LM-403
First and Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20540
Re: Revision of the Cable and Satellite
Carrier C Li Docket 97-1
Dear Mr. Roberts:
On behalf of LIN Television Corporation, we hereby submit an original
plus 14 copies of the Reply Comments of Gregory M. Schmidt, Vice President - New
Development and General Counsel.
Sincerely,
Neil K. Roman
Attorney for LIN
Television Corporation
Enclosures
»_-
| Comment Letter
COMET YE oo |
+r JF 7 reo
Before the : RM 8" 8
COPYRIGHT OFFICE
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS No. —/
R L C t } V FE D Washington, D.C. 20540 one Se
In the Matter of
Revision of the Cable and Docket No. 97-1
Satellite Carrier
Compulsory Licenses
NN“eeeeee” ee
Reply Comments of Gregory M. Schmidt, Vice President-
New Devel nt isi
At last month’s hearings, much of the discussion centered on whether or
not the Copyright Office should recommend a change in the objective standard setting
forth the territorial, or "white area," restrictions of the Satellite Home Viewer Act. As I
discussed in my original comments and at the hearing, we do not believe that any change
is warranted or advisable.
To the contrary, if any amendment is to be made, it should be to limit
further the narrow compulsory license afforded by the Satellite Home Viewer Act. In
this respect, we have two specific recommendations: (1) satellite carriers should not be
permitted to continue to offer multiple network services to "unserved" households and
(2) the carriers should be precluded from inserting advertisements into the network
programming they offer.
As is clear both from the text of the Satellite Home Viewer Act and its
legislative history, the compulsory license was created to provide a lifeline service to
those households that truly do not have access to network services -- typically those in
-2-
remote rural areas. The idea was that these "unserved" households should have the same
viewing options as others -- not more, not less.
Far from simply offering network services to provide equal access, the
satellite carriers have featured in their marketing materials the advantages of receiving
multiple network services. For example, PrimeTime 24, which sells packages of East
and West Coast network services, actively promotes the benefits of subscribing to both --
most notably, time-shifting and additional sports programming. Indeed, its
advertisements trumpet the advantage of being able to choose when to watch a favorite
network program and the availability of more sports, such as NFL football, whose game
broadcasts are regionalized so that network affiliates in different parts of the country
broadcast different games. Needless to say, as the record so clearly demonstrates, it is
this availability of time-shifting programs and out-of-market sports which is most
appealing to ineligible households and which has been the driving force for the rampant
illegality of PrimeTime 24’s subscription practices.
There is, then, no basis for providing a windfall of viewing options to
unserved households, over and above the intent of Congress to provide equal access to
network services. And especially where doing so has created the unconscionable
situation where the vast majority of PrimeTime 24 subscribers are ineligible.
Similarly, the ability of the satellite carriers to substitute alternative
advertising in the local signals is wholly inconsistent with the basic concept of a
compulsory license given to passive retransmitters of local broadcast signals. It is true
that this original concept has wrongly been undercut in the context of the cable