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SECTION 111. SECONDARY TRANSMISSIONS
General exemptions
Certain secondary transmissions are given a general exemption under clause (1) of section 111(a). The first of these applies to secondary transmissions consisting “entirely of the relaying, by the management of a hotel, apartment house, or similar establishment” of a transmission to the private lodgings of guests or residents and provided “no direct charge is made to see or hear the secondary transmission.”
The exemption would not apply if the secondary transmission consists of anything other than the mere relay of public broadcasts; the cutting out of advertising or the running in of new commercials would subject the secondary transmitter to full liability. Moreover, the term “private lodgings” is limited to rooms used as living quarters or for private parties, and does not include dining rooms, meeting halls, theaters, ballrooms, or similar places that are outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances. No special exception is needed to make clear that the mere placing of an ordinary radio or television set in a private hotel room does not constitute an infringement.
Secondary transmissions of instructional broadcasts.—Subclause (2) of section 111(a) is intended to make clear that an instructional transmission within the scope of section 110(2) is exempt whether it is a “primary transmission” or a “secondary transmission.”
Carriers.—The general exemption under section 111 extends to secondary transmitters that act solely as passive carriers. Under subclause (3), a carrier is exempt if it “has no direct or indirect control over the content or selection of the primary transmission or over the particular recipients of the secondary transmission.” For this purpose its activities must “consist solely of providing wires, cables, or other communications channels for the use of others.”
Clause (4) would exempt the activities of secondary transmitters that operate on a completely nonprofit basis. The operations of nonprofit “translators” or “boosters,” which do nothing more than amplify broadcast signals and retransmit them to everyone in an area for free reception, would be exempt if there is no “purpose of direct or indirect commercial advantage,” and if there is no charge to the recipients “other than assessments necessary to defray the actual and reasonable costs of maintaining and operating the secondary transmission service.” This exemption does not apply to a cable television system.
Secondary transmissions of primary transmissions to controlled group.—Except as provided in subsection (a) and (c), the secondary transmission to the public of a primary transmission embodying a performance or display is actionable as an act of infringement if the primary transmission is not made for reception by the public at large but is controlled and limited to reception by particular members of the public. Examples of transmissions not intended for the general public are background music services such as Muzak, closed circuit broadcasts to theaters, and pay television.
During the hearings in the 93rd Congress on the revision bill the cable television industry expressed concern that subsection (b) of section 111 could place the cable television industry in a conflict between the copyright law and the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission. It was claimed that the FCC requires a
