Oklahoma Code § 15-790

Title 15. Contracts: Copyright owners and performing rights societies - Royalty
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contracts.

A.  As used in this section:
1.  "Area" means a circular geographical region having a twenty-
five-mile radius surrounding the business location of a proprietor.
In the case of a proprietor with more than one business location,
there shall be a separate area for each location for the purposes of
this section;
2.  "Copyright owner" means the owner of a copyright of a
nondramatic musical or similar work recognized and enforceable under
the copyright laws of the United States pursuant to Title 17 of the
United States Code, Pub. L. 94-553 (17 U.S.C., Section 101 et seq.).
"Copyright owner" shall not include the owner of a copyright in a
motion picture or audiovisual work, but shall include, but not be
limited to, the owner of a copyright in a karaoke machine or similar
device;
3.  "Performing rights society" means an association or
corporation that licenses the public performance of nondramatic
musical works on behalf of copyright owners, such as the American
Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast
Music, Inc. (BMI), and SESAC, Inc.;
4.  "Proprietor" means the owner of a retail establishment,
restaurant, inn, bar, tavern, sports or entertainment facility, or
any other similar place of business or professional office located
in this state in which the public may assemble and in which
nondramatic musical works or similar copyrighted works may be
performed, broadcast, or otherwise transmitted for the enjoyment of
the members of the public there assembled; and
5.  "Royalty" or "royalties" means the fees payable to a
copyright owner or performing rights society for the public
performance of nondramatic musical or other similar work.
B.  No copyright owner or performing rights society shall enter
into, or offer to enter into, a contract for the payment of
royalties by a proprietor unless at the time of the offer, or any
time thereafter, but no later than seventy-two (72) hours prior to
the execution of that contract, it provides to the proprietor, in
writing, the following:
1.  A schedule of the rates and terms of royalties under the
contract; and
2.  Annual notice, in a form prescribed by the Attorney General,
that the proprietor is entitled to the information contained in
paragraph 1 of this subsection.
C.  Every contract for the payment of royalties executed in this
state shall:
1.  Be in writing;
2.  Be signed by the parties;
3.  Contain a provision requiring notification of any rate
change thirty (30) days prior to expiration date of the contract;
and

4.  Include at least the following information:
a. the proprietor's name and business address and the
name and location of each place of business to which
the contract applies,
b. the duration of the contract, and
c. the schedule of rates and terms of the royalties to be
collected under the contract, including any sliding
scale or schedule for any increase or decrease of
those rates for the duration of the contract.
D.  No performing rights society, or any agent or employee
thereof, shall:
1.  Enter beyond the usual customer area of a proprietor's
business for the purpose of investigating as to the use of
copyrighted works by that proprietor or for the purpose of
discussing or inquiring about a contract for the payment of
royalties with the proprietor or employees of the proprietor,
without first presenting proper identification as an agent or
employee of a performing rights society to the proprietor or
employees of the proprietor and making known to them the purpose of
the investigation, discussion or inquiry;
2.  Collect or attempt to collect a royalty payment or any other
fee, except as provided in a contract executed pursuant to the
provisions of this section;
3.  Charge or collect a royalty which is unreasonable in
comparison to the royalties for similar licenses in the same area;
4.  Engage in any coercive conduct, act or practice that is
substantially disruptive of a proprietor's business;
5.  Use or attempt to use any unfair or deceptive act or
practice in negotiating with a proprietor; or
6.  Fail to comply with or fulfill any obligations imposed by
this section.
E.  Any person who violates any provision of this section shall
be liable to pay a penalty of not more than Two Thousand Five
Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for a first violation and a penalty of
not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) for a second and
each subsequent offense.  The penalty shall be collected and
enforced in the name of the state by the Attorney General in a court
of competent jurisdiction.
F.  A proprietor may bring an action or assert a counterclaim in
a court of competent jurisdiction against a copyright owner or
performing rights society, or both, to enjoin any violation of this
act and to recover any damages sustained by the proprietor as a
result of a violation of this section.  The proprietor may petition
the court to terminate a contract which violates the provisions of
this section, and the court in its discretion may void the contract.
If successful, the proprietor shall be entitled to recover damages
sustained by the proprietor, together with reasonable attorney fees,

filing fees and reasonable costs of suit, in addition to any other
legal or equitable relief.
G.  The rights, remedies and prohibitions accorded by the
provisions of this section shall be in addition to and cumulative of
any other right, remedy or prohibition accorded by common law,
federal law or the statutes of this state, and nothing contained in
this section shall be construed to deny, abrogate or impair any such
common law or statutory right, remedy or prohibition.
H.  This section shall not apply to:
1.  Contracts between copyright owners or performing rights
societies and broadcasters licensed by the Federal Communications
Commission, or to contracts with cable operators, programmers or
other transmission services.  However, if a copyright owner or
performing rights society is licensed by the Federal Communications
Commission, this section shall apply to contracts between that
copyright owner or performing rights society and a proprietor as
otherwise provided;
2.  Any conduct engaged in for the enforcement of Sections 1979
and 1980 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes; and
3.  Any performing philharmonic.

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