As of July 2017, claimants or their authorized representatives who wish to file online claims to royalty funds for cable and satellite retransmission of broadcast television programs must register for and use the new eCRB electronic filing system.
Claimants will have access to eCRB via a link on the CRB website (www.loc.gov/crb) starting in mid-June, and registration is free.
Any claimant who does not have access to the internet must file a paper claim. Claimants filing paper claims should contact the CRB early in July to obtain the required claim form so they can file their claim by mail or by delivering it in accordance with CRB regulations relating to paper filings.
The CRB’s revised regulations regarding filing of claims (37 CFR 350.5, 360) will be available for public inspection on Monday and published in the Federal Register on Tuesday (6/13).
All claimants are asked to review them closely prior to preparing claims.
As the eCRB system will be new to all users, claimants are asked to register for eCRB as soon as it launches in mid-June and file claims in early July.
Why? This to allow for any system glitches the CRB has been unable to anticipate.
The dates for filing claims are in the Copyright Act, and the judges do not have the authority to extend the filing deadline.
