Appeal against a copyright licensing fine or code of practice
Appeal against a government fine or code of practice imposed on your copyright licensing organisation or collecting agency.
What you can appeal against
You can appeal if the government fines or imposes a code of practice on you or your copyright licensing body.
This may happen if you haven’t adopted or published a code of practice in line with the rules.
Any fine will be put on hold while you appeal, but an imposed code will stay in force until it’s been considered by the tribunal.
The tribunal
Your case will be dealt with by a tribunal in the General Regulatory Chamber.
The tribunal is independent of the government, and will listen to both sides of the argument before reaching its decision.
If you or your representative is outside the UK and wants to give live video or audio evidence, contact the tribunal to request it. Tell the tribunal what country you or the representative is in and what type of evidence is being given. You must do this as soon as possible.
Time limits for appealing
You have 28 days to appeal after the government sends you the decision or fine.
If you miss the time limit, you can ask for more time to appeal. Explain why you’re late, and the tribunal will decide if it can still take your case.
How to appeal
Complete the relevant General Regulatory Chamber (First-tier Tribunal) form.
Clearly say why you want to appeal against the decision.
Include any supporting documents, like the fine or decision letter.
Send the form to grc@justice.gov.uk or:
General Regulatory Chamber
HM Courts and Tribunals Service
PO Box 9300
Leicester
LE1 8DJ
Telephone: 0300 123 4504
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm
Find out about call charges
Tribunal staff can explain how the process works, but they cannot give you legal advice.
What happens next
The tribunal will write to you about the next steps.
Find out more about General Regulatory Chamber hearings and decisions.
Legislation and rules
You can find the right to appeal to the tribunal in section 12 of The Copyright (Regulation of Relevant Licensing Bodies) Regulations 2014.
The schedule sets out what needs to be covered by the code of practice.
Read more detailed rules on how your case will be handled in the General Regulatory Chamber procedure rules.
Last updated 31 January 2024 + show all updates
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Updated the how to appeal section with a link to the General Regulatory Chamber (First-tier Tribunal) forms collection.
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Changed telephone number of the GRC
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First published.