Article

Challenges and Pitfalls in Revising of the Canadian Copyright Act

Marcel Boyer

Abstract

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology and the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage filed their Copyright Act review reports in 2019. Among their recommendations: the term extension of copyright, the new “termination right,” the amended copyright reversion regime, and the new mandatory registration system. I provide an economic policy analysis of the implications of those recommendations on creator bargaining power and remuneration, on the availability of works, and on the creative marketplace in general. I conclude that the committees’ intended goals will not be fully achieved if their recommendations are implemented as formulated.

Keywords

Copyright Term Extension; Copyright Termination Right; Copyright; Reversion Regime; Creators Remuneration; Bargaining Power; Risk and Discounting;

Published in

Canadian Intellectual Property Review, Ottawa, vol. 37, January 2022, pp. 1–38