C-244An Act to amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance and repair)
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on February 8, 2022
- Status
- Became law on November 7, 2024 · S.C. 2024, c. 26
What it does
Lets people bypass certain copyright locks on products when needed to diagnose, maintain or repair them.
What it does
- Adds a Copyright Act exception that lets a person circumvent a technological protection measure when the only purpose is to maintain or repair a product, including diagnosing it, if the protected work is part of the product.
- Extends that exception to a person who does the diagnosis, maintenance or repair for someone else.
- Keeps the exception from applying if the person does an act that infringes copyright.
- Updates the Copyright Act definitions of "circumvent" and "technological protection measure".
Who it affects
- People repairing products
- Product owners
- Repair shops
- Service technicians
- Copyright owners
Background
The Copyright Act now limits the circumvention of technological protection measures, which are controls on access to a work, performer’s performance or sound recording. This bill adds a repair exception to that rule.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Senate
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Completed.
Introduced by an MP who is not a minister. These bills compete in a lottery for debate time, and most do not become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-244, An Act to amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance and repair)
Vote 424,
Passed
325 yeato0 nay · 4 paired
Party breakdown for vote 424 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 153 0 5 Conservative Yea 114 0 3 Bloc Yea 30 0 2 NDP Yea 23 0 2 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 3 0 0 Total 325 0 Concurrence at report stage of Bill C-244, An Act to amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance and repair)
Vote 342,
Passed
324 yeato0 nay
Party breakdown for vote 342 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 150 0 6 Conservative Yea 113 0 2 Bloc Yea 32 0 0 NDP Yea 25 0 0 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 2 0 1 Total 324 0 2nd reading of Bill C-244, An Act to amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance and repair)
Vote 187,
Passed
323 yeato0 nay · 4 paired
Party breakdown for vote 187 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 150 0 8 Conservative Yea 113 0 5 Bloc Yea 32 0 0 NDP Yea 24 0 1 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 2 0 0 Total 323 0
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalWilson Miao· February 8, 2022
“Moved for leave to introduce Bill C-244, an act to amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance and repair). It is my pleasure to rise today to introduce my private member's bill, Bill C-244, an act to amend the Copyright Act, one part of our right to repair system in Canada.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeGérard Deltell· April 8, 2022
“In my role as critic, I rise today to speak to Bill C-244, which was introduced by the member for Richmond Centre. As we mentioned, this bill is a carbon copy of Bill C‑272, which was introduced in the last Parliament by the member for Cambridge, who sits beside the member for Richmond Centre.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocChristine Normandin· April 8, 2022
“Funnily enough, we are engaging in a circular economy with this bill since we are recycling it from another Parliament. As members have mentioned a few times already, the old version of this bill received the unanimous consent of the House.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPBrian Masse· April 8, 2022
“My colleague from the Bloc who spoke prior to me made a very good analysis of the bill, as well as of the efforts of the legislature in Quebec to deal with the situation over the right to repair. Part of what we are doing here is following up on work that needs to be done.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Royal assent received. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.