Canadian Copyright Protection Term Extended To 70 Years

Last year, Bill C-19, the Budget Implementation Act, 2022, No.1, received Royal Assent. The bill included amendments to the Copyright Act to extend the term of copyright protection for literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works from 50 years to 70 years, after the end of the calendar year of the author's death. These amendments came into force on Dec. 30, 2022.

In the case of works of joint authorship, the term of copyright protection is extended to 70 years following the end of the calendar year of the death of the last surviving author. Bill C-19 is clear that the copyright term extension is not retroactive and therefore will not affect works that are already in the public domain before the amendments come into force. For copyright protected works that were scheduled to expire in 2022, the term of protection is extended by another 20 years.