  One of the interesting features of the photoemission spectra of the high
temperature cuprate superconductors is the presence of a large signal (referred
to as the "background'') in the unoccupied region of the Brillouin zone. Here
we present data indicating that the origin of this signal is extrinsic and is
most likely due to strong scattering of the photoelectrons. We also present an
analytical method that can be used to subtract the background signal.
