Ottawa, ON – Today, Jeremy Patzer, the Conservative MP for Cypress Hills—Grasslands, introduced Bill C-294, the Unlocking Innovation Act:

“Bill C-294 seeks to provide a clear and limited exemption for consumers and future innovators to enjoy the benefits of interoperability.

“For the last 10 years, Canada’s Copyright Act has enforced technological protection measures (TPMs) to help businesses and creators benefit from their own work. Changing technology brings more digitized products to the market with increasing demand. But the lack of clarity in copyright law is now causing an unfortunate side effect of discouraging innovation.

“Those who deal with copyright and intellectual property all across Canada are actively calling for the Copyright Act to be modernized. This is what Bill C-294 will accomplish, allowing industry to meet modern technological demands.

“This bill is critical to help Canada’s many agricultural, mining, construction and forestry manufacturing industries stay competitive and invest more in innovative technologies. We need to provide certainty to our world-class Canadian innovators who help create new markets, job opportunities and stimulate growth in our communities

“Canada has been the home of many remarkable advances. We should never discourage new ones from happening now or in the future. If we make a small adjustment in the law, Canadian creativity will do the rest.

“Conservatives will always be on the side of Canadian innovators and consumers to maintain a competitive marketplace while upholding Canada’s copyright framework.”