Bill C-32: Proposed Revisions to the Copyright Act

On June 2, 2010 the federal government introduced Bill C-32 which addresses numerous issues that have arisen since the Copyright Act was last substantially revised in 1997, including challenges resulting from rapid advancements in digital and Internet technologies.

The Bill's introduction follows an extended period of consultation with the public and numerous affected stakeholders in an effort to achieve an acceptable balance between extensions of rights for copyright creators and owners, and those for users. If enacted, Bill C-32 will bring changes to both commercial and non-commercial activities in areas including electronic commerce and Internet access providers and hosting (ISP) services, the use of music and video content, photography, and education and training, to name the most obvious.