Canada Modernizes Copyright Legislation

Copyright reform in Canada has, after a decade of effort, finally moved towards implementation. On November 7, 2012, pursuant to an Order in Council, many provisions of the Copyright Modernization Act, SC 2012, c 20, came into force. Several other important provisions under the law, including the new Notice-and-Notice rules and provisions aimed at bringing Canada under the umbrella of two World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) treaties, will come into force at a later date.

The purpose of the Act is to modernize existing copyright legislation to account for the environment created due to the Internet and to align with the international standards contained in two WIPO treaties. The Act also aims to enhance the ability of copyright owners in the protection of content, especially in the digital context, while seeking to balance the interests of society and users and their right to fair use of legitimately acquired copyrighted material. Some important changes in