Skip to main content
HR 3192 104th Congress House Commerce Commercial arbitration Consumer education Copyright Copyright infringement Direct broadcast satellites Government Operations and Politics Government paperwork Intellectual property Law Science, Technology, Communications Space activities Television broadcasting Television stations

Satellite Home Viewer Protection Act of 1996

Introduced: March 28, 1996 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 18, 1996
Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property.
Mar 28, 1996
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Mar 28, 1996
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E486)
Mar 28, 1996
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Satellite Home Viewer Protection Act of 1996 - Amends Federal copyright law to require a satellite carrier that makes secondary transmissions of a primary transmission by a network station, prior to providing broadcasting signals to a subscriber, to provide such subscriber with a written statement describing and quoting the network territorial restrictions related to such retransmission.

Requires a satellite carrier, within 30 days of receipt of a challenge by a network station as to whether a subscriber is an unserved household within the predicted Grade B contour of such station, to: (1) inform the subscriber of the challenge; and (2) offer such subscriber the option of the satellite carrier conducting a measurement of the signal intensity of the subscriber's household to determine whether such household is an unserved household. Requires the satellite carrier to: (1) terminate service to such a household if its subscriber does not request a signal intensity measurement within 30 days of notification of the challenge from the satellite carrier; and (2) notify the network station that such service has been terminated. Outlines procedures to be taken after a signal measurement has been taken. Repeals a provision allowing a network station to challenge a subscriber outside the predicted Grade B contour of the network station.

Authorizes satellite carriers and network broadcasters to negotiate the terms and conditions of the signal intensity measurement described under this Act. Requires a complete description of such agreement to be filed with the Register of Copyrights within 30 days after its execution. Provides for arbitration of such an agreement if the parties cannot agree to terms and conditions within 30 days after the enactment of this Act.

What's happening now April 18, 1996

Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2