Canada Just Fixed Copyright Law for Repair

What do ice cream machines, Xboxes, and tractors have in common? Fixing them just became legal in Canada: They all have certain repairs that are blocked by software called technological protection measures. Until yesterday, you’d risk violating copyright law if you bypassed those software protections in Canada.

But now Canada’s new laws, Bills C-244 and C-294, are changing the game. These bills are a huge step forward for the right to repair, giving Canadians more freedom to repair their own devices without breaking the law. They make Canada the first country to tackle copyright law’s digital locks at a federal level in favor of repair access.

What Exactly Changed with These Bills?

Canada’s new laws address something called technological protection measures (TPMs), or digital locks that prevent access to software on devices. Introduced into Canadian copyright law back in 2012, TPMs were initially meant to stop media piracy but quickly spread to hardware. Now, anything with embedded software—smart fridges, cars, medical equipment, farming equipment—can use TPMs to restrict third-party repair.

Bill C-244 allows consumers to bypass these digital locks for “repair, maintenance, and diagnosis” of their devices. Essentially, if your device is broken, you can work around TPMs to fix it. Meanwhile, C-294 focuses on “interoperability,” meaning you can circumvent locks if needed to get different devices to work together. For example, Canadian farmers can install third-party parts on their equipment without fear of triggering a software lock that keeps them dependent on costly repairs from the manufacturer.

These laws owe their passage in significant part to the work of the Canadian Right to Repair coalition, CanRepair. If you’re in Canada and want to get involved, they invite you to join their working group—or even become a provincial/territorial representative. 

TPMs: The Good, the Bad, and the Broken

TPMs might seem like a minor obstacle, but they can make even basic repairs impossible. You might’ve heard about the notorious problems with repairing McDonald’s ice cream machines and the recent US win that lets us fix them. 

Like in Canada, copyright law in the US—specifically, Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act—bans TPM circumvention. Every three years, we get a chance to propose categories of equipment to be exempted. With our allies at Public Knowledge, we’ve won exemptions for smartphones and tractors, and this year we asked for ice cream machines. Because of digital locks, franchise owners are forced to pay for expensive repairs only the manufacturer can perform. TPMs restrict software access, making simple troubleshooting a legal gray area. To our delight, the US Copyright Office agreed. But until now, Canadians couldn’t benefit from those exemption wins.

Farmers, power chair users, and even hospitals with medical devices have all faced similar struggles. The restriction of third-party repairs locks consumers into costly service agreements and shuts down independent repair businesses, limiting consumer choice and driving up repair costs across the board.

Canada’s TPM-focused bills don’t mean the fight is over, but they’re a strong signal that the country is prioritizing consumers’ ability to fix their devices.

There’s one major limitation that Canada shares with the US: neither country allows for the trafficking of repair tools. While Canadians can now legally bypass TPMs to fix their own devices, they can’t legally sell or share tools designed for that purpose. This means Canadian consumers and repair pros still face technical and legal hurdles to access the necessary repair tools, much like in the US.

This win for Canadians is still huge—it’s the first time federal law anywhere has tackled digital locks in favor of repair. But the restriction on tools limits who can benefit, which is why the repair fight continues.

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Canada Still Needs More Repair Protection

As Canadian repair advocates celebrate this win, there’s still a push for broader reform. Bills C-244 and C-294 give Canadians the right to repair their devices, but as Anthony Rosborough, co-founder of the Canadian Repair Coalition, points out: “Despite their enormous promise and progress, the bills are far from the final nail in the coffin in the push for a comprehensive right to repair. New regulations,” Rosborough says, “are needed that require manufacturers and vendors to ensure that products and devices are designed with accessibility of repairs in mind.” 

Right to Repair has made some other inroads in Canada: Quebec’s Bill 29, passed last October, bans planned obsolescence and requires the availability of parts and information. Other provincial government have expressed interest in but have not yet passed Right to Repair reforms, along the lines of the laws that have passed in five US states. Unfortunately, we understand that manufacturers are in some cases refusing to provide access to parts, tools, and manuals for people living outside those states. Broad international protections will be crucial to make repair truly accessible and affordable.

Canada’s new laws are part of a bigger picture: people worldwide want repair rights, and policymakers are catching on. Whether you’re in Canada or beyond, this is progress worth celebrating. Canada’s opened the door—now it’s time for other countries to follow suit and make repair autonomy a right for everyone.