Parliament must fast-track repair Bill C-244

Enshrining our right to repair our devices is long overdue

November 3, 2022 — Today OpenMedia is calling on MPs from all parties to support Bill C-244, a private member’s bill that amends the Copyright Act to make it easier for consumers to repair their devices at an affordable price. The bill was introduced by MP Wilson Miao (Richmond Center) as a revival of last year’s Bill C-272, first introduced by MP Brian May (Dauphin—Swan River–Neepawa).

Currently, the Copyright Act forbids Canadian consumers from repairing their own devices without authorization by manufacturers. This permits a variety of digital software locks and other restrictive measures by manufacturers that block consumers from accessing necessary components to diagnose and repair their own devices, or working with third parties to do so. Bill C-244’s changes would ensure that all Canadians have full ownership rights over their devices, including the right to repair them on their own at an affordable rate, minimizing e-waste and promoting consumer rights.  

“Bill C-244 is simple common sense: Canadians deserve full ownership over our devices, and that includes the right to get them repaired.” said OpenMedia Campaigns Director Matt Hatfield. “Some manufacturers are designing our devices to rapidly break down or become obsolete, keeping us trapped in a cycle of constantly replacing them. They change product designs with every new version released and make spare parts hard to find or expensive. That costs us more money, hurts the environment, and is bad for everyone and everything but their bottom line. Enough is enough; we’re calling on MPs from every party to speedily pass C-244 through committee in its current form, making it easier for Canadians to repair the devices we own.”

Since 2019, over 20,000 petition signatures from OpenMedia community members have called on the federal government to introduce right-to-repair legislation. Bill C-244 is currently sitting before the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, which will consider possible amendments before returning it to the House of Commons for a third vote.