The 12 Minute Sport Lawyer – Ottawa Edition

The first installment of the SIRC/CSL Knowledge Management Series was a success! The 12 Minute Lawyer took place yesterday afternoon in Ottawa. If you missed attending you have another chance. Register now for the session held in Toronto on February 23 at SIRC@Sport4Ontario.

Rachel and Steve from the Canadian Centre for Sport and Law led a discussion about some of the hot, legal issues in the sporting community. Time flew by as we talked about social media, music rights, hands-free devices, police checks, human rights and LTAD. Interesting questions to ask yourself include:

• Are you paying SOCAN for music rights during practices? Should you?
• Can you get fired for what you say on Facebook?
• Should you have to play employee fines if they are talking on their phone in the car for business and get caught?
• Do waivers for minors really work?
• How are the changes to police check policies effecting your organization?
• Should you align LTAD with the Athlete Assistance Program?
• Are your employees and volunteers aware and educated on human rights violations?

We are looking forward to Managing Your Intellectual Property, the next KMS in Ottawa. Speakers will discuss the ambush marketing that happened before and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Make sure you register early!

The 12 Minute Sport Lawyer – Toronto Edition

February 23rd marked the first SIRC/CSL Knowledge Management Series session for the Toronto Regional office. The event was fast paced, informative and well received by all who attended. Many provincial sport organizations were in attendance including basketball, softball, squash, badminton, boxing, waterpolo and triathlon, all finding the information relevant to their particular sport and organizational structure.

So what did they learn?

• The costs involved for playing music during sporting competitions and events when SOCAN comes to call.
• Recent U.S. case law involving cell phone use in cars by employees – you may be liable if an accident happens.
• The dangers of hyper-personal communication via social media.
• In a human rights complaint, saying sorry is not an admission of guilt. Apology Act, 2009.
• How to break the triangle of fraud by eliminating opportunity.
• The Real Story Behind the Ski Jump Story - Sagen v. Vancouver
• Different ways to “Own the Podium”.

Thanks to Rachel Corbett, Steve Indig, Jarrod Grossman and Kevin Lawrie from the Centre for Sport and Law for providing a fun and interactive session of learning. Be sure to tune in next month when SIRC and CSL present:

• Managing Your Intellectual Property – March 10th – Ottawa Office
• Not Your Normal Risk Management Workshop – March 25 – Toronto Office

Do I need a license for that? Music and Copyright

Any public performance of music falls under Canada’s Copyright Act. This means that if you are playing music at an event you will need to have a license from SOCAN. For sport, recreation and physical activity Tariff 9, Tariff 19 and Tariff 21 are commonly requested licenses.

• Tariff 9 allows you to play music at events involving baseball, football, hockey, basketball, skating competitions, races, track meets and other sport events.
• Tariff 19 allows you to play music involving physical exercise (dancercize, aerobics, body building and other similar activities) and dance instruction that take place in one room.
• Tariff 21 allows you to play music in school and/or community recreational facilities for activities such as figure skating, hockey, fitness activities and amateur rodeos.

For additional information go to:

• Cameron, Zane. (2010) What’s the Score on Copyright and Licensing? Fitness Informer. Spring, p.26. (Available in SIRC Collection)
• (2007) When Music is Played at Your Event, Who Pays the Piper? Centre for Sport and Law Newsletter. (Accessed: Aug. 12, 2010)

Helpful Links:

• SOCAN
• Copyright Board of Canada