On September 30, 2018 the Canadian government announced the completion of negotiations toward a new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This agreement, the successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), has potential implications for the interpretation and application of intellectual property at UBC. Relevant sections of the updated trade agreement are contained within Chapter 20: Intellectual Property Rights. Of particular interest is Article 20.H.7: Term of Protection for Copyright and Related Rights, which states that copyright terms for all signatory countries shall extend for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. This reflects an additional twenty years of protection from what is currently afforded to creators in the Copyright Act of Canada. In addition to the term extension, there are other intellectual property provisions enumerated in the agreement that are not currently reflected in Canadian legislation.
As noted on the Government of Canada’s website, the USMCA agreement is subject to further refinement and additional legal review. At this time, NAFTA still remains in force. We will continue to update the UBC community as more information on the implementation of the USMCA becomes available.
UPDATES
- July 17, 2020
New DVD digitization service to support online learning In order to better support online learning, UBC Library is now offering a service to convert content on DVD to streaming video. This service is limited to course-required content for students to be viewed outside the classroom. Instructors can make requests via Library Online Course Reserves (LOCR). [Read More]
- June 3, 2020
York University v. Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright) UpdateIn 2013, Access Copyright commenced a legal case against York University in Federal Court seeking enforcement of an interim tariff approved by the Copyright Board. York, which had refused an Access licence in 2011, claimed that the tariff was not mandatory and further stated that the application of its Fair Dealing Guidelines and practices protected it from any claim of infringement. [Read more]
- March 31, 2020
Bill C-4 Receives Royal Assent On March 13, 2020 Bill C-4, An Act to implement the Agreement between Canada, the United States of America and the United Mexican States, received Royal Assent. This Bill includes amendments to the Copyright Act. [Read more]
