Montreal, March 10, 2025聽鈥 Copibec welcomes the election of Mr. Mark Carney as the new leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Prime Minister, and calls for a concrete and immediate commitment to ensuring the modernization of the Copyright Act.
This change of direction and vision at the head of the federal government presents an opportunity for the Liberal Party to renew its commitment to modernizing the Copyright Act, and to start afresh.
At a time when Canada is going through a pivotal political period, the government鈥檚 next directions and decisions will be decisive for the country鈥檚 future and cultural sovereignty. Protecting cultural sovereignty and all the elements of its ecosystem, including creators, must be at the heart of the government鈥檚 priorities and commitments.
鈥淥ur hopes were in vain, despite commitments in the mandate letters of Ministers St-Onge and Champagne, announcements in the 2022 and 2024 budgets and economic statements, as we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Act鈥檚 coming into force in 2024. Despite a transparent consensus on the need to modernize the Act, the government has never withdrawn the fair dealing exception for educational purposes. What鈥檚 more, its legislative inaction allows AI to continue wreaking havoc with unauthorized text and data mining,鈥 says Christian Laforce, General Manager of Copibec.
As part of the pre-budget consultations launched in view of the threat of U.S. tariffs, Copibec recently filed a brief with Access Copyright, calling on the government to protect Canadian authors, rights holders and publishers by modernizing the Copyright Act. This request comes against the backdrop of tense Canada-US relations, and echoes the position of the Office of the US Trade Representative, which placed Canada on its observation list regarding the fair use exception for educational purposes, in a special report on intellectual property protection.
鈥淭he American position on copyright in Canada is yet another irritant for a cultural community that is more than ever at risk, concerned and impatient to see its protections guaranteed. We should be sensitive to this now more than ever. Culture is non-negotiable, and the new government headed by Mark Carney must show renewed and assertive leadership in defending and protecting our creators,鈥 concludes Lise L茅tourneau, President of Copibec.
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About Copibec
Founded in 1997 by the Union des 茅crivaines et des 茅crivains qu茅b茅cois (UNEQ) and the Association nationale des 茅diteurs de livres (ANEL), the Quebec reproduction rights collective Copibec specializes in copyright management. More than 30,000 authors and over 1,400 publishing houses are represented by Copibec, which also manages legal access to reproductions of works by visual artists through licensing.
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Source and information
Catherine Mercier
Communications Officer
c.mercier@copibec.ca
514 288-1664