After seven years and three previous attempts at amending the
Copyright Act, Canada's Copyright Modernization
Act ("Bill C-11") was finally proclaimed into force
on November 7, 2012. The following summary will highlight the
events leading up to, and some of the main features of, the new
additions to Canada's copyright law.
History of the Amendments
The Copyright Act was last amended in 1997. The 1997
amendments were introduced in order to bring Canada into compliance
with its international treaty obligations, including the North
American Free Trade Agreement and the Rome Convention for
the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and
Broadcasting Organizations.
Almost a decade after the 1997 amendments, further attempts at
legislative reform came in quick sequence: Bill C-60 in 2005,
introduced by the Liberal Government of Paul Martin, and then Bill
C-61 in 2008 and Bill C-32 in 2010, both introduced by the
Conservative minority Governments. All three
