Ottawa, Ontario – Last week, the Canadian government gave final approval to Bill C-244 and Bill C-294, which amend copyright laws to enable businesses and consumers the right to fix their own equipment.

Bill C-244 was originally introduced in the Commons by British Columbia Liberal MP Wilson Miao in February 2022, with Bill C-294 being tabled by Conservative MP Jerermy Patzer.

Bill C-244 specifically aims to enable owners and businesses to bypass digital locks on products—including vehicles—and to make repairs without violating copyright laws, while Bill C-294 aims to allow different technologies to work together.

While these right to repair laws have not been passed solely with the automotive and collision repair industries in mind, because Bill C-244 allows for the bypassing of technological protections for the purpose of repair, those working in the automotive repair and automotive recycling industries would thus be able to circumvent vehicle’s built-in technological systems in order to better evaluate said vehicle’s condition.

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