Government of Canada Launches Consultation on How to Implement its CUSMA Commitment to Extend Canada’s General Copyright Term of Protection

In today’s fast-paced creative economy, it is critical for Canada to maintain a comprehensive copyright framework to encourage creation, acquisition and commercialization of copyrighted content.

Under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), Canada has agreed to extend, by the end of 2022, its general copyright term of protection from 50 to 70 years after the life of the author. Today, the Honourable Philippe-François Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, launched a public consultation to consider whether to adopt accompanying measures to mitigate the potential implications of this longer term of protection.

This consultation will be informed by the recent parliamentary review of the Copyright Act, and will support the development of a copyright framework that promotes a healthy marketplace.

The consultation will provide the public and interested stakeholders with an opportunity to discuss possible impacts and to consider measures that may address potential implications of the extended term of copyright protection.

Canadians are invited to share their views on:

the adoption of accompanying measures to term extension, including which measures, if any, should be considered; and;
any additional ideas, comments, legal analysis and evidence in support of potential accompanying measures.
Participants have until March 12, 2021 to submit comments.

Following the consultation, responses will be published online and will inform the policy development process. The government is also reviewing recommendations stemming from the parliamentary review of the Copyright Act and will hold additional consultations on a modern framework for online intermediaries and a modern framework for artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things by summer 2021.