What is the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010?
Congress recently passed the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (“STELA”). This law updates and reauthorizes the satellite carrier distant broadcast signal license, found in Section 119 of the Copyright Act, for another five years. STELA also amends the cable statutory license, found in Section 111 of the Copyright Act, in several respects. These two licenses were amended in part to take into account the recent digital broadcast television transition. While the President signed the legislation into law on May 27, 2010, its effective date is February 27, 2010.
