Getting a proposed tariff off the ground: Key steps for tariff certification

(This is the second installment in our series regarding the Copyright Board, to help you better understand the tariff process.)

The certification process for most SOCAN tariffs is usually the same. Once a proposed tariff is drafted, it's filed with the Copyright Board of Canada (the “Board”) by the annual deadline of March 31, following which it's published in the Canada Gazette (the official newspaper of the Government of Canada). The users affected by the proposed tariff, or their representatives, may object to it within 60 days of publication (the “objectors”). SOCAN and the objectors then have the opportunity to present their cases to the Board. After deliberations, the Board will certify the tariff in a form that it sees fit, and will publish it in the Canada Gazette. The Board also issues reasons for the decision in writing.

In our next issue: “The Waiting Game: The Board’s Deliberations”

Part Two: How a tariff is born

Part One: How does the Copyright Board work?