Royalties from SOCAN

SOCAN is responsible for collecting licensing fees from radio stations and redistributing royalties to copyright owners. The application alleges that SOCAN has disadvantaged its Quebec members by applying an inequitable distribution of royalties for the broadcasting of musical works on radio.

The application alleges that this situation prevented many creators and publishers from collecting their rightful share. According to the plaintiffs, this constituted a breach of SOCAN’s obligation to ensure equitable remuneration for all its members.

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On February 4, 2026, the Honourable Finn rendered his judgment authorizing the modification of the application to institute a class action.

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The individuals who could be concerned by this action are:

All individuals and legal entities domiciled in Quebec who have received royalties from SOCAN before November 15, 2021, for the exploitation of musical works broadcast on Quebec radio stations (excluding Canadian Broadcasting corporation (CBC).

Case Summary

In September 2022, the Applicant David Murphy & Cie filed an application to institute a class action, which covered the period from July 2019 to December 2020.

The Applicants filed a modified application to institute a class action and to obtain status of representatives on February 27, 2025 in order to modify the class description and add Sébastien Fréchette, aka Biz, as Applicant. The hearing on the application to modify was heard on June 17, 2025 by the Honourable Shaun E Finn, jcs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Phone: 514 871-8385

Email: [email protected]

À propos du dossier

Title: 9057-0581 Québec inc (David Murphy & Cie) and Sébastien Fréchette v. Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN)

File number: 500-06-001198-221 (Superior Court of Quebec)