The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that Cineplex says a case launched by the Competition Bureau against it over movie ticket fees should be dismissed because it is based on a "mischaracterization." A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe reports that the case launched by the competition watchdog in May is based on the premise that fees applied to some Cineplex movie tickets bought on-line constitute price dripping, a deceptive practice where customers are drawn into a purchase without full disclosure of the final cost. The bureau has alleged that consumers cannot buy tickets on-line at advertised prices because there is a mandatory $1.50 fee for booking on-line. However, in a response filed with the Competition Tribunal on June 30, Cineplex said the bureau's claims are "without merit" and should be thrown out with costs awarded to Cineplex. Cineplex's defence centres on its view that there is no price dripping in its purchase process because moviegoers are promptly told about fees they may face. Cineplex began charging the fees in question on June 15, 2022, as an on-line booking fee for certain advance ticket purchases. This meant anyone making their purchase at a theatre was not charged the fee.