Code of Conduct annual compliance review 2018

June 5, 2018

Members, licensees and other stakeholders are invited to make submissions to the Code Reviewer about Copyright Agency’s compliance with the Code of Conduct for Collecting Societies in 2017–18.

Copyright Agency is a signatory to the Code. Its compliance with the Code is reviewed annually by the Code Reviewer. The current Code Reviewer is the Dr Kevin Lindgren AM QC, a former judge of the Federal Court.

CODE OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Code are to:

  • promote awareness of and access to information about copyright and the role and function of collecting societies in administering copyright on behalf of members;
  • promote confidence in collecting societies and the effective administration of copyright in Australia;
  • set out the standards of service that members and licensees can expect from collecting societies; and
  • ensure that members and licensees have access to efficient, fair and low cost procedures for the handling of complaints and the resolution of disputes involving collecting societies.

Matters covered in the Code include governance and accountability, education and awareness, and complaints and disputes.

BACKGROUND TO THE CODE

The Code of Conduct for copyright collecting societies was developed in 2002. It followed support for a code by the Copyright Law Review Committee in its report in 2000 on the Copyright Tribunal.

In developing the Code, the collecting societies took into account codes used in other industries (such as banking and telecommunications), and Australian standards for complaints handling and dispute resolution. The societies also consulted closely with the Attorney-General’s Department.

PARTICIPATING IN THE 2018 CODE REVIEW

Members, licensees and other stakeholders are invited to make submissions to the Code Reviewer, by 31 July 2018, about compliance by Copyright Agency with the Code in 2017–18.

You can email the Code Reviewer at codereviewer@gmail.com, or mail to: The Code Reviewer, Suite 704, 4 Young Street, Neutral Bay NSW 2089.

You can also view the formal notification of the review here.

PAST REPORTS BY CODE REVIEWER

You can view past reports by the Code Reviewer here.

Review of the Code

The Code is currently being reviewed by the Bureau of Communications and Arts Research in the Department of Communications and the Arts. See further here.

5 June 2018