Appendix D: The Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act of 20041



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Title IX — Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act of 2004

Section 1 · Short Titles; Table of Contents.

(a) Short Titles.—This title may be cited as the “Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act of 2004” or the “W. J. (Billy) Tauzin Satellite Television Act of 2004”.

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Title I — Statutory License for Satellite Carriers

Sec. 101 · Extension of Authority.

(a) In General.—Section 4(a) of the Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1994 (17 U.S.C. 119 note; Public Law 103-369; 108 Stat. 3481) is amended by striking “‘December 31, 2004” and inserting “‘December 31, 2009”.

(b) Extension for Certain Subscribers.—Section 119(e) of title 17, United States Code, is amended by striking “‘December 31, 2004” and inserting “‘December 31, 2009”.

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Sec. 106 · Effect on Certain Proceedings.

Nothing in this title shall modify any remedy imposed on a party that is required by the judgment of a court in any action that was brought before May 1, 2004, against that party for a violation of section 119 of title 17, United States Code.

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Sec. 109 · Study.

No later than June 30, 2008, the Register of Copyrights shall report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate the Register’s findings and recommendations on the operation and revision of the statutory licenses under sections 111, 119, and 122 of title 17, United States Code. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) A comparison of the royalties paid by licensees under such sections, including historical rates of increases in these royalties, a comparison between the royalties under each such section and the prices paid in the marketplace for comparable programming.

(2) An analysis of the differences in the terms and conditions of the licenses under such sections, an analysis of whether these differences are required or justified by historical, technological, or regulatory differences that affect the satellite and cable industries, and an analysis of whether the cable or satellite industry is placed in a competitive disadvantage due to these terms and conditions.

(3) An analysis of whether the licenses under such sections are still justified by the bases upon which they were originally created.

(4) An analysis of the correlation, if any, between the royalties, or lack thereof, under such sections and the fees charged to cable and satellite subscribers, addressing whether cable and satellite companies have passed to subscribers any savings realized as a result of the royalty structure and amounts under such sections.

(5) An analysis of issues that may arise with respect to the application of the licenses under such sections to the secondary transmissions of the primary transmissions of network stations and superstations that originate as digital signals, including issues that relate to the application of the unserved household limitations under section 119 of title 17, United States Code, and to the determination of royalties of cable systems and satellite carriers.