Who can complain?
You can only complain about Koda’s case processing if you have a direct, specific interest in the case, so-called legal interest. Believing that other people’s interests have been violated is not sufficient grounds for you to launch a complaint.
Complaint format and deadline
All complaints must be submitted in writing and sent to Koda either per email or regular mail. Koda will send you a receipt.Your complaint must be submitted as soon as possible. The complaint deadline is 36 months from the expected date of distribution.
Koda’s complaints board
If you are a Koda member and dissatisfied with Koda’s decision regarding your complaint, you can put your case before the Koda complaints board.
- Complaints about a payment
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If you believe that the distribution of payments made to you is incorrect, you must state your claim no later than 36 months after the projected time of payment. It is important that you contact us as soon as possible if you find any errors or have any questions about your payments.
If you wish to make a complaint, please send an email to [email protected]. Provide as much detail as possible; we will then process your claim.
We will need the following information
- The title of the work in question
- Where the work was used (what channel)
- When the work was used (during what period)
Read about the possibilities of claims within Koda here
- Complaints about a work registration
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If you believe that a work has been incorrectly registered, it is important that you contact us at the earliest opportunity. Send us an email at [email protected] and include as many details as possible; then we will set up a complaints case for you.
The deadline for lodging a complaint is three years (36 months) from the expected time of distribution.
If you are dissatisfied with Koda’s decision on your complaint regarding work registration, you may appeal to Kodas complaints board.
- Rejected concert reports
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If a concert reported by or on behalf of you has been rejected, for example due to insufficient information on the promoter, this will be clearly stated on My Koda.
The deadline for lodging a complaint is three years (36 months) from the expected time of distribution.
If you are dissatisfied with Koda’s decision on your complaint regarding a rejected concert, you may appeal to Koda complaints board.
- Complaints regarding Music Advisor/committee rulings
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Complaints regarding decisions made by Koda’s Music Advisor
Koda’s Music Advisor (musikfaglige konsulent) makes decisions on matters such as the amounts granted to subsidised concerts, arrangement shares pertaining to works that have passed into the public domain, and musik-på-musik værker (‘music-on-music’ works).
Please direct any complaints pertaining to decisions made by Koda’s Music Advisor to Koda’s Music Committee (Kodas Musikfaglige reference- og ansøgningsudvalg) via [email protected]
The Music Advisor will state the reasons behind the decisions made, but will not take part in the subsequent discussions and processing of your complaints case. If a complaint has to do with a work that has previously been presented to the committee as a disputed or doubtful case, or in connection with the committee’s general discussions, the complainant must be informed of this when a ruling is made on the complaints case. If this happen, the complainant must also be notified that the decision can be brought before Koda’s board of directors.
The deadline for lodging a complaint is three years (36 months) from the expected time of distribution.
Complaints regarding decisions made by Koda’s Music Committee
You can lodge a complaint regarding decisions made by Koda’s Music Committee (Musikfaglige reference- og ansøgningsudvalg) by sending an email to [email protected]
The deadline for bringing the matter before Koda’s board of directors is one (1) month from the date of receiving the committee’s decision.
If a member of the board has previously taken part in the Music Committee's considerations on the matter in question, that board member may not participate in the board's considerations. Similarly, Koda's Music Advisor cannot attend the discussions and decision-making process regarding the same case on either Koda’s Music Committee or Koda’s board of birectors. Moreover, the same rules apply to members of the board as to members of the Koda Music Committee: no member may have a personal or similar interest in the outcome of the case.
Complaints regarding decisions made by Koda’s Music Committee will be handed over to the committee by Koda’s administration. The committee must then provide a written statement explaining the reasons behind that decision within one month.
Following this, the complainant has at least one month to comment on the statement provided. Based on this information, the Board of Directors will make its final decision. The Board’s decision is final insofar as it can only be brought before the ordinary courts, not to Koda's complaints boards.
- Misconduct complaint
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A misconduct complaint is a complaint about a Koda employee’s or department’s conduct in dealing with a case, such as case processing times or offensive language use.
In order to process the complaint, Koda needs the following information:
- The name of the relevant department or employee
- What case/issue does your complaint concern?
- A brief description of the case, including the nature of your complaint regarding the relevant department or employee
Complaints about an employee must be sent to the relevant employee’s manager. Complaints about a department must be sent to the head of that department. The relevant manager decides on the case, and his/her ruling is final insofar as it cannot be brought before Koda's Complaints Board. You can find an overview of Koda's employees and departments here.
- Exclusion – Complaint regarding membership termination
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In accordance with Koda’s Articles of Association, Koda’s board of directors may decide to exclude any member who
- fails to comply with Koda’s Articles of Association
- counteracts Koda’s business and interests through disloyal conduct
The board of directors’ decision cannot be brought before Koda’s Complaints Board, but the excluded member may request to have the board’s decision submitted before the next annual general meeting.
Your request to have the decision to terminate your membership brought before the general meeting must reach the board of directors no later than 1 March of the year in which the general meeting is to be held.
- Making complaints to Koda’s complaints board
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Who can appeal to Koda's complaints boards?
Only members of Koda can appeal via Koda’s complaints board. The complaint must be lodged by the member whom the case concerns. This means that you cannot complain about matters that do not directly concern yourself.
How much does it cost to lodge a complaint?
At the time of lodging your complaint, you must pay a fee of DKK 1,000. The fee will be refunded if your complaint causes the complaints board to critique Koda or to issue a recommendation to Koda.
Koda will not begin to process your complaint until you have paid the complaints fee. As a result, Koda will set a deadline of no less than 14 days to pay the complaints fee. If you do not pay the complaints fee within this deadline, your complaint will lapse .
What can you complain about?
You can lodge a complaint with Koda’s complaints board if you are dissatisfied with Koda’s conduct within one of the following areas:
- Distributions
- Registration of a musical work/song
- Rejection of a concert for which Koda has received notification.
When can you complain?
Koda’s complaints board may only handle a complaint if every other option in Koda’s usual complaints system has been exhausted, meaning that Koda’s decision is final. Once Koda has reached a final decision, you have the opportunity to file your complaint until three months after Koda’s decision was made. If you submit your complaint after this deadline, the complaints board cannot process your complaint.
How do you complain?
You can submit your complaint to Koda via email to [email protected]. Don’t forget to send your complaint before the deadline expires.
If you wish to send your complaints via regular mail, send your letter to Koda, Lautrupsgade 9, 2100 København Ø. Don’t forget to allow enough time for the complaint to reach Koda within the deadline set. Koda will send on your complaint to the complaints board if the relevant deadlines have been met.
What should I say in my complaint?
There are no specific requirements on what to say in your complaint, nor on how long it should be. Nor are you required to state the reason for your complaint. However, it is always a good idea for you to state what you are dissatisfied with and why.
A complaint should ideally include:
- your name
- your details (address, telephone number and email address)
- your Koda membership number
- a description – as accurate and detailed as possible – of the specific nature of your complaint
- relevant materials about the matter (for example, you can attach relevant copies or PDF files about the case)
The complaints board may subsequently ask Koda for a written statement on the matter you complain about. You will then be given the opportunity to comment on Koda’s statement in writing before the complaints board makes a decision.
What are the possible outcomes of the complaints board’s handling of your complaint?
The complaints board cannot change Koda’s decision, but will assess whether Koda has acted in accordance with the rules laid down for the relevant area. The complaints board may issue criticism, make recommendations and provide its overall opinion on the matter.
Who are the members of Koda's complaints board?
Koda’s complaints board consists of a chairman, who must be a judge by profession and appointed upon agreement with Den Danske Dommerforening (The Danish Association of Judges), as well as the three critical auditors appointed by the Koda General Assembly.
The complaints board currently comprises:
- Judge Søren Holm Seerup
- Koda’s critical auditors: Leif Ernstsen, Morten Olsen (author members) and Finn Olafsson (publisher).
Where can the rules regarding Koda’s complaints board be found?
The rules on Koda's complaints board can be found in Koda’s Articles of Association and in the complaint board’s Rules of Procedure. You can find the Rules of Procedure and the relevant provision in Koda’s Articles of Association here.
Read rulings made by the Koda complaints board (in Danish)
