The 2022 Federal Budget, released yesterday, includes a public statement and commitment to “ensure a sustainable educational publishing industry, including fair remuneration for creators and copyright holders”.  The short statement is found on page 274 of the budget, excerpted here:

Amendments to the Copyright Act

In Budget 2022, the government proposes to introduce amendments to the Copyright Act to extend the general term of copyright protection from 50 to 70 years after the life of the author as agreed under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.

The government is committed to ensuring that the Copyright Act protects all creators and copyright holders. As such, the government will also work to ensure a sustainable educational publishing industry, including fair remuneration for creators and copyright holders, as well as a modern and innovative marketplace that can efficiently serve copyright users.

https://budget.gc.ca/2022/home-accueil-en.html

Access Copyright, the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency, understands that both Minister Rodriguez and Minister Champagne pushed to get the statement included in the budget.  The Prime Minister’s Office and the Privy Council Office are actively monitoring reactions to the budget to assess how to move forward with its content.

Access Copyright has released the following statement in support of the budget commitment. We encourage all our member organizations to publicly celebrate this positive step forward, such as through a public statement and/or on social media. Please be sure to tag Minister Rodriguez and Minister Champagne on any social media posts. 

www.accesscopyright.ca