Copyright Board incorrectly revised distant signals rates: appeal court

By Ahmad Hathout The Copyright Board of Canada incorrectly went outside the direction it was given by the Federal Court of Appeal when it was tasked with correcting errors it made in calculating the royalty rates broadcasters pay to retransmit distant signals, the high court ruled late last week. To distribute distant over-the-air television signals, Canadian cable providers (BDUs) must pay royalties to the copyright owners of the programs carried on those signals. The board -- which uses a set of Canadian and U.S. specialty services as proxies to approximate the content of these signals -- sets these rates where...