[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 37, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 1999]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 37CFR201.13]
[Page 356-358]
TITLE 37--PATENTS, TRADEMARKS, AND COPYRIGHTS
CONGRESS
PART 201--GENERAL PROVISIONS--Table of Contents
Sec. 201.13 Notices of objection to certain noncommercial performances of nondramatic literary or musical works.
(a) Definitions. (1) A Notice of Objection is a notice, as required
by section 110(4) of title 17 of the United States Code as amended by
Pub. L. 94-553, to be served as a condition of preventing the
noncommercial performance of a nondramatic literary or musical work
under certain circumstances.
(2) For purposes of this section, the copyright owner of a
nondramatic literary or musical work is the author of the work
(including, in the case of a work made for hire, the employer or other
person for whom the work was prepared), or a person or organization that
has obtained ownership of the exclusive right, initially owned by the
author of performance of the type referred to in 17 U.S.C. 110(4). If
the other requirements of this section are met, a Notice of Objection
may cover the works of more than one copyright owner.
(b) Form. The Copyright Office does not provide printed forms for
the use of persons serving Notices of Objection.
(c) Contents. (1) A Notice of Objection must clearly state that the
copyright owner objects to the performance, and must include all of the
following:
(i) Reference to the statutory authority on which the Notice of
Objection is based, either by citation of 17 U.S.C. 110(4) or by a more
general characterization or description of that statutory provision;
(ii) The date and place of the performance to which an objection is
being made; however, if the exact date or place of a particular
performance, or both, are not known to the copyright owner, it is
sufficient if the Notice describes whatever information the copyright
owner has about the date and place of a particular performance, and the
source of that information unless
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the source was considered private or confidential;
(iii) Clear identification, by title and at least one author, of the
particular nondramatic literary or musical work or works, to the
performance of which the copyright owner thereof is lodging objection; a
Notice may cover any number of separately identified copyrighted works
owned by the copyright owner or owners serving the objection.
Alternatively, a blanket notice, with or without separate identification
of certain copyrighted works, and purporting to cover one or more groups
of copyrighted works not separately identified by title and author,
shall have effect if the conditions specified in paragraph (c)(2) of
this section are met; and
(iv) A concise statement of the reasons for the objection.
(2) A blanket notice purporting to cover one or more groups of
copyrighted works not separately identified by title and author shall be
valid only if all of the following conditions are met:
(i) The Notice shall identify each group of works covered by the
blanket notice by a description of any common characteristics
distinguishing them from other copyrighted works, such as common author,
common copyright owner, common publisher, or common licensing agent;
(ii) The Notice shall identify a particular individual whom the
person responsible for the performance can contact for more detailed
information about the works covered by the blanket notice and to
determine whether a particular work planned for performance is in fact
covered by the Notice. Such identification shall include the full name
and business and residence addresses of the individual, telephone
numbers at which the individual can be reached throughout the period
between service of the notice and the performance, and name, addresses,
and telephone numbers of another individual to contact during that
period in case the first cannot be reached.
(iii) If the copyright owner or owners of all works covered by the
blanket notice is not identified in the Notice, the Notice shall include
an offer to identify, by name and last known address, the owner or
owners of any and all such works, upon request made to the individual
referred to in paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section.
(3) A Notice of Objection must also include clear and prominent
statements explaining that:
(i) A failure to exclude the works identified in the Notice from the
performance in question may subject the person responsible for the
performance to liability for copyright infringement; and
(ii) The objection is without legal effect if there is no direct or
indirect admission charge for the performance, and if the other
conditions of 17 U.S.C. 110(4) are met.
(d) Signature and identification. (1) A Notice of Objection shall be
in writing and signed by each copyright owner, or such owner's duly
authorized agent, as required by 17 U.S.C. 110(4)(B)(i).
(2) The signature of each owner or agent shall be an actual
handwritten signature of an individual, accompanied by the date of
signature and the full name, address, and telephone number of that
person, typewritten or printed legibly by hand.
(3) If a Notice of Objection is initially served in the form of a
telegram or similar communication, as provided by paragraph (e) of this
section, the requirement for an individual's handwritten signature shall
be considered waived if the further conditions of said paragraph (e) are
met.
(e) Service. (1) A Notice of Objection shall be served on the person
responsible for the performance at least seven days before the date of
the performance, as provided by 17 U.S.C. 110 (4)(B)(ii).
(2) Service of the Notice may be effected by any of the following
methods:
(i) Personal service;
(ii) First-class mail;
(iii) Telegram, cablegram, or similar form of communication, if:
(A) The Notice meets all of the other conditions provided by this
section; and
(B) Before the performance takes place, the person responsible for
the performance receives written confirmation of the Notice, bearing the
actual handwritten signature of each copyright owner or duly authorized
agent.
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(3) The date of service is the date the Notice of Objection is
received by the person responsible for the performance or any agent or
employee of that person.
(Pub. L. 94-553; 17 U.S.C. 110(4), 702)
[42 FR 64684, Dec. 28, 1977]