Will we see changes to copyright laws in Canada?

Public

2019-06-21 Vancouver, BC

Canadian copyright laws were updated in 2012. Now, in 2019, two Canadian Parliamentary Standing Committees delivered reports with recommendations on changes to copyright laws in Canada.

Will we see any changes to the copyright laws in the near future?

In May 2019 the Canadian Heritage Standing Committee delivered its report, "Shifting Paradigms" and in June 2019 the Industry, Science and Technology Standing Committe delivered its report, "Statutory Review of the Copyright Act".

The Canadian Heritage committee report provides several recommendations including extension of copyright from 50 to 70 years after the authors death, and recommendations to increase efforts to combat piracy and develop mechanisms by which streaming services will develop and promote Canadian content.

The Industry committee, that may have more impact, in it's report provides a number of recommendations some of which include further consultation with various groups and stakeholders, changes to government policies and practices, conducting further studies, and introduction of additional legislation related to computer-generated works.

While the Heritage Committee report was welcome news for the publishing community and rights holders for their work, the Industry Committee report is "more guarded, less decisive, and hands the problem back to the creative industries to resolve ... especially in terms of the educational sector, the arena in which so much of the damage has occurred and so much of the rancor has developed."

Web Links:

Canadian Heritage Standing Committee report, "Shifting Paradigms".

Industry, Science and Technology Standing Committe report, "Statutory Review of the Copyright Act".

Canadian Publishing Reacts to New ‘Industry Committee’ Copyright Report, https://publishingperspectives.com/2019/06/canadian-publishing-community...