Bill C-244 on Right to Repair passes into legislation

Bills C-244, an Act to amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance and repair) and C-294 (interoperability) both received royal assent on November 7, 2024. This is good news for farmers, as it is a first step toward allowing farmers and third-parties the ability to circumvent technological protection measures required to diagnose and repair their equipment, without infringing on copyright law.

Alberta Grains has advocated for several years for the inclusion of farm machinery in making these changes toward allowing timely repairs for farm machinery during critical times of the year, like seeding and harvest. Bill C-294 also includes directives related to the ability for machinery, software and data to operate more cohesively.