Author: Anthony D Rosborough, Assistant Professor of Law & Computer Science, Dalhousie University

On November 7, two bills that make enormous progress toward establishing a meaningful right to repair in Canada have become law after receiving royal assent. Bills C-244 and C-294 are complementary private members’ bills that amend the Copyright Act in relation to technological protection measures (TPMs). TPMs, also referred to as “digital locks,” are software or hardware that restrict the modification or repair of a device or technology. The Copyright Act gives a very broad and open-ended definition of techniques, components and devices that can be considered TPMs. Both bills can be traced back to 2021, and have spent the…