A Liberal MP from B.C. has introduced a private member’s bill in the House of Commons that’s aimed at protecting Canadians’ right to repair items they own, which could potentially affect rules around tractor and farm machinery repairs.
The intent of Bill C-244, which was brought forward by Wilson Miao of Richmond Centre, BC, is to amend the Copyright Act “in order to allow the circumvention of a technological protection measure in a computer program if the circumvention is solely for the purpose of the diagnosis, maintenance or repair of a product.”
“The bill is aimed at addressing copyright that is being used to stop Canadians from repairing and maintaining items that have been purchased and are owned by Canadians. It is a targeted bill that creates specific exemptions to copyright,” explained Miao, introducing the bill in the House of Commons on Tuesday. “When an individual makes a purchase of an item, the owner should have a right to repair it and not be restricted by the manufacturer.”
Miao also emphasized the environmental or “sustainable consumerism” angle to the bill.
“Being able to repair the items we own is critical to the well-being of our environment,” he noted. “Canada has the ability to be an international leader in sustainable consumerism and act as a model on how to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle with the things we buy. Canadians work hard to purchase the things they own and should have a right to repair these items as well.”
You can read the text of the proposed bill here.
