Senate Committee Calls for “thorough, in-depth examination of the Copyright Board of Canada’s mandate, practices and resources.”

The Senate’s Banking, Trade and Commerce Committee (“BANC”) has just released, on time as promised, its eagerly anticipated report entitled “Copyright Board: A Rationale for Urgent Review”.

With highlight added, here is the bottom line:

From the Executive Summary:

Many witnesses agreed that a review of the Board – either overall or in specific areas – should be

undertaken during the forthcoming statutory review of the Act. Consequently, the committee

strongly recommends that the mandate, practices and resources of the Copyright Board of Canada be the subject of in-depth study during the forthcoming statutory review of the Copyright Act by a committee of the Senate or of the House of Commons or of both.

From the Recommendation:

RECOMMENDATION

The Copyright Board of Canada plays a pivotal role in Canada’s cultural sector. Yet, from what the committee heard, the Board is dated, dysfunctional and in dire need of reform. Whether the reasons are statutory, structural or otherwise, the Board did not – or could not – provide the committee with solutions to the problems that were identified by witnesses. The concerns outlined in this report require further investigation and timely action.

The next statutory review of the Copyright Act will take place in 2017, as stipulated in the legislation. That same legislation also requires the review to be conducted by a committee of the Senate, of the House of Commons or of both. The committee therefore recommends that:

The forthcoming, five-year statutory review of the Copyright Act should include a

thorough, in-depth examination of the Copyright Board of Canada’s mandate,

practices and resources.

More to follow…

HPK