2023-25341. Termination Rights, Royalty Distributions, Ownership Transfers, Disputes, and the Music Modernization Act

AGENCY:

U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress.

ACTION:

Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment period.

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Copyright Office is extending the deadline to submit reply comments in connection with a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking regarding the applicability of the derivative works exception to termination rights under the Copyright Act to the new statutory mechanical blanket license established by the Music Modernization Act and other matters relevant to identifying the proper payee to whom the mechanical licensing collective must distribute royalties.

DATES:

The comment period for the proposed rule published September 26, 2023, at 88 FR 65908, is extended. Written reply comments are due no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

For reasons of governmental efficiency, the Copyright Office is using the regulations.gov system for the submission and posting of public comments in this proceeding. All comments are therefore to be submitted electronically through regulations.gov. Specific instructions for submitting comments are available on the Copyright Office's website at https://copyright.gov/​rulemaking/​mma-termination. If electronic submission of comments is not feasible due to lack of access to a computer or the internet, please contact the Copyright Office using the contact information below for special instructions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rhea Efthimiadis, Assistant to the General Counsel, by email at [e-mail] or telephone at 202–707–8350.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On September 26, 2023, the U.S. Copyright Office issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comments from the public on questions regarding the applicability of the derivative works exception to termination rights under the Copyright Act to the new statutory mechanical blanket license established by the Music Modernization Act and other matters relevant to identifying the proper payee to whom the mechanical licensing collective must distribute royalties.^[1] The supplemental notice set an October 26, 2023 deadline for submitting initial comments and a November 13, 2023 deadline for reply comments. On October 11, 2023, the Office extended these deadlines to November 8, 2023 and November 28, 2023, respectively.^[2]

To ensure that members of the public have sufficient time to prepare responses to the Office, and to ensure that the Office can proceed on a timely basis with its inquiry of the issues identified in its supplemental notice with the benefit of a complete record, the Office is further extending the reply comment period deadlines as set forth here. Reply comments will now be due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.

Dated: November 13, 2023.

Suzanne V. Wilson,

General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights.

Footnotes

1.  88 FR 65908 (Sept. 26, 2023).

2.  88 FR 70412 (Oct. 11, 2023).