Chapter 57 — Patent Rights and Copyrights

chapter-57K.S.A. ch. 57CodeJan 1, 1900

Unofficial online text published by the Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes; the printed volumes of the Kansas Statutes Annotated are the authoritative version. Current through the 2025 session laws.

Article 1 Patent Rights (Not in active use)

§ 57-101 Repealed

History: L. 1889, ch. 182, § 1; R.S. 1923, 57-101; Repealed, L. 1951, ch. 333, § 1; March 29.

§ 57-102 Repealed

History: L. 1889, ch. 182, § 2; R.S. 1923, 57-102; Repealed, L. 1951, ch. 333, § 1; March 29.

§ 57-103 Repealed

History: L. 1889, ch. 182, § 3; R.S. 1923, 57-103; Repealed, L. 1951, ch. 333, § 1; March 29.

Article 2 Musical and Dramatic-Musical Compositions

§ 57-201 Definitions

As used in this act, "person" means any individual, resident or nonresident, of this state, and every domestic or foreign or alien partnership, society, association or corporation; the words "performing rights" refer to "public performance for profit"; the word "user" means any person who directly or indirectly performs or causes to be performed musical compositions for profit; the term "blanket license" includes any device whereby public performance for profit is authorized of the combined copyrights of two or more owners; the term "blanket royalty or fee" includes any device whereby prices for performing rights are not based on the separate performance of individual copyrights.

History: L. 1939, ch. 306, § 1; June 24.

§§ 57-202 through 57-204 Repealed

History: L. 1939, ch. 306, §§ 2 to 4; Repealed, L. 1943, ch. 212, § 3; June 28.

§ 57-205 Repealed

History: L. 1939, ch. 306, § 5; Repealed, L. 2021, ch. 61, § 60; July 1.

§ 57-206 Repealed

History: L. 1939, ch. 306, § 6; L. 1943, ch. 212, § 1; Repealed, L. 2021, ch. 61, § 60; July 1.

§ 57-207 Repealed

History: L. 1939, ch. 306, § 7; L. 1943, ch. 212, § 2; Repealed, L. 2021, ch. 61, § 60; July 1.

§ 57-208 Gross receipts tax; payment; rules and regulations; blank forms

From and after the effective date of this act there is hereby levied, and there shall be collected, a tax, for the act or privilege of selling, licensing, or otherwise disposing of performing rights in such compositions in this state, in an amount equal to three percent of the gross receipts of all such sales, licenses or other dispositions of performing rights in this state, payable to the state treasurer on or before the fifteenth day of March, 1940, with respect to all such gross receipts for the portion of the calendar year 1939 after the effective date of this act, and annually thereafter, on or before the fifteenth of March of each succeeding year, with respect to the gross receipts of the preceding calendar year. The state treasurer shall adopt and publish rules and regulations not in conflict herewith, as well as a form of return and any other forms to carry out the provisions of this section.

History: L. 1939, ch. 306, § 8; June 24.

§§ 57-209, 57-210 Repealed

History: L. 1939, ch. 306, §§ 9, 10; Repealed, L. 1943, ch. 212, § 3; June 28.

§ 57-211 Prior contracts or licenses not affected

Nothing contained in this act shall be so construed as to impair or affect the obligation of any contract or license which was lawfully entered into prior to the effective date of this act.

History: L. 1939, ch. 306, § 11; June 24.

§ 57-212 Invalidity of part

If any section, sentence, clause or word of this act shall be held to be unconstitutional, the invalidity of such section, sentence, clause or word shall not affect the validity of any other portion of this act, it being the intent of this legislature to enact each of the provisions of this act insofar as they conform to the constitution of this state and of the United States.

History: L. 1939, ch. 306, § 12; June 24.

§§ 57-213 through 57-220 Reserved
§ 57-221 Definitions

As used in this section:

(a) "Copyright owner" means the owner of a copyright of a nondramatic musical work, other than a motion picture or other audio visual work, recognized and enforceable under the copyright laws of the United States pursuant to title 17 of the United States Code.

(b) "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.

(c) "Proprietor" means the owner of a retail establishment, restaurant, hotel, bar, tavern, sports or entertainment facility; a not-for-profit organization; 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 may be performed, broadcast or otherwise transmitted.

(d) "Royalty" or "royalties" means the license fees payable by a proprietor to a performing rights society for the public performance of nondramatic musical works.

History: L. 1996, ch. 102, § 1; July 1.

§ 57-222 Required information

No 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 72 hours prior to the execution of that contract, the society provides to the proprietor, in writing, the following:

(a) A schedule of the rates and terms of royalties under the contract;

(b) upon request of the proprietor, the opportunity to review the most currently available list of the members or affiliates represented by the performing rights society; and

(c) notice that it will make available, upon request of any proprietor, at the sole expense of the proprietor, the most currently available list of the copyrighted musical works in the performing rights society's repertory, provided the notice shall include a toll-free telephone number and shall specify the means by which such information may be secured.

History: L. 1996, ch. 102, § 2; July 1.

§ 57-223 Contents

Every contract for the payment of royalties between a proprietor and a performing rights society executed in this state shall:

(a) Be in writing;

(b) be signed by the parties; and

(c) include at least the following information:

(1) The proprietor's name and business address and the name and the location of each place of business to which the contract applies;

(2) the name and address of the performing rights society;

(3) the duration of the contract; and

(4) 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 that contract.

History: L. 1996, ch. 102, § 3; July 1.

§ 57-224 Prohibited acts

(a) No agent or employee of a performing rights society shall:

(1) Enter onto the premises of a proprietor's business for the purpose of discussing a contract for payment of royalties for the use of copyrighted works by that proprietor without first identifying the agent or employee to the proprietor or the proprietor's employees; or

(2) collect or attempt to collect from a proprietor licensed by that performing rights society a royalty payment or any other fee except as provided in a contract executed pursuant to the provisions of this act.

(b) Nothing in this act shall be construed to prohibit a performing rights society from informing the proprietor of the proprietor's obligations under the federal copyright law, title 17 of the United States Code.

History: L. 1996, ch. 102, § 4; July 1.

§ 57-225 Remedies

Any person who suffers a violation of this act may bring an action to recover actual damages and reasonable attorney fees, and seek an injunction and any other available remedy.

History: L. 1996, ch. 102, § 5; July 1.

§ 57-226 Act supplemental to other law

The rights, remedies and prohibitions accorded by the provisions of this act 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.

History: L. 1996, ch. 102, § 6; July 1.

§ 57-227 Exemptions

This act shall not apply to:

(a) Investigations by law enforcement officers or other persons concerning a suspected violation of subsection (a)(3) of K.S.A. 21-5806, and amendments thereto; or

(b) contracts between copyright owners or performing rights societies and broadcasters licensed by the federal communications commission or contracts with cable operators, programmers or other transmission services.

History: L. 1996, ch. 102, § 7; L. 2011, ch. 30, § 203; July 1.

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