Copyright Office Terminates Rulemaking Proceeding and Clarifies Regulatory Policy
Issue No. 343 - May 8, 2008


After reviewing comments on issues associated with the definition of the term "cable system" under the Copyright Act as well as comments on a request to create subscriber groups for the purposes of eliminating the "phantom signal" phenomenon, the Copyright Office finds that it lacks the statutory authority to adopt rules sought by the cable industry because the proposed changes are inconsistent with the statutory rate structure. Therefore, the Office has terminated the proceeding. However, the Office clarifies its policy regarding the application of the 3.75 percent fee to phantom signals.
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View Historical Documents on the Copyright Office Website

The Copyright Office is making available on its website numerous historical documents. These include Office reports and publications, announcements (MLs) from 1954-2001, annual reports from 1866 to the present, the copyright laws of 1790 and 1909, biographies of the Registers of Copyright, and short illustrated articles about copyright. (View the documents.)