Bryan May

[Petitions, June 22nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to present two petitions from concerned Canadians.

The first petition is e-3424, with more than 1,000 signatures. This petition concerns the recent military action in Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the conduct of forces during and after the conflict. It also includes details about the holding of Armenian prisoners of war, and calls for condemnation of Azerbaijan due to its illegal holding of these POWs.

[Committees of the House, June 15th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, regarding support programs for veterans, caregivers and families.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

I would like to thank our clerk and all of the staff who have allowed us to continue our work virtually this past year.

[Copyright Act, May 31st, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I am proud to speak to my private member’s bill, Bill C-272, and I am excited to see this bill will come up for a vote very soon. I became interested in this topic because of how many aspects of our lives that it touches. It touches everything from agriculture and the food we eat, to the environment and how we divert waste away from landfills, to consumer rights and allowing people to do the things they should be able to do with the goods they purchase.

I hope this legislation also kicks off a deeper conversation about the right to repair. This issue is non-partisan and spans the concerns of urban and rural citizens, the young and the old, those who are tech savvy and those who are technophobes. It impacts all of us. I am pleased to see the positive response Bill C-272 has garnered from all parties, and I hope that an in-depth discussion at committee will follow.

Bill C-272 addresses some concerns that have become more frequent over the past decade, concerns that the Copyright Act is being used and interpreted in areas far beyond its scope. In particular, these concerns focus on the provisions of copyright that are actually able to prevent the repair of digital devices and systems, even when nothing is being copied or distributed. As digital technology around us has become less expensive, it has become more integrated into our daily lives, and the Copyright Act governs the software that is found in these systems.

As an example, the technology has not changed dramatically in refrigerators over the past few decades, but now you can get a fridge with a computer inside or digital touch screens on the front. That computer, more specifically the onboard software, is protected under the Copyright Act. That computer runs and manages the refrigerator and the onboard systems.

However, a manufacturer could choose to not allow the repair or replacement of a filter, compressor, or some other part without a specific code, password, or permission entered into the system. They may do this to prevent outsiders from making repairs, to ensure only their approved technicians make the repairs or to prevent the installation of aftermarket parts. However, if someone makes that repair on their own and breaks the technological protection measures in place to force it to accept the repair, they could be violating the Copyright Act, and they could be charged with breaking a federal law.

This need for repair is even more critical for people in rural or remote locations as they likely do not have quick or easy access to dealerships or manufacturers. These technological protection measures, or TPMs, can inadvertently prevent repairs, and they can shut out independent repair shops and home DIY repairs. They can even stop repairs after the company has gone out of business because they would still be breaking the TPMs, even if there are literally no other options for repair. That goes against everything that Canadians understand instinctively when they purchase something. Bill C-272 works to prevent these kinds of issues by carving out a specific and very limited allowance for consumers to circumvent a TPM, but only for the purpose of diagnosis, maintenance or repair.

None of these copyright protections are an issue with respect to repairs, and the spirit of the Copyright Act is not intended to speak to the repair of physical devices at all. Interpreting it this way is wildly outside the scope of the intent of copyright, and the legislation is out of date and misused as a result. The circumvention of TPMs discussed and allowed under Bill C-272 are only for repair, maintenance or diagnosis. Any other circumvention would remain illegal under the Copyright Act.

So far I have had the opportunity to hear from constituents, people across Canada and internationally who are all interested in seeing this bill passed. I thank them for their support.

I would also like to thank my staff for all of their hard work on this bill, especially that of Andrew Cowie, without whom we would not be speaking about this today.

My thanks to the hon. members for their debate today and in the first hour. I am also happy to discuss any changes requested by committee, changes that could strengthen the bill and its impact.

[Points of Order, May 26th, 2021]

With all due respect, Mr. Speaker, this is not a point of order.

[Dave Sopha, May 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, this month, Cambridge has lost a great Canadian, Dave Sopha.

Dave was an incredible artist who memorialized the 158 Canadian Forces personnel who lost their lives in Afghanistan, through his iconic painting Portraits of Honour.

Dave was a community builder, teacher and a dedicated volunteer. He wanted to share his art and spread a message of love in commemoration for our troops, and he succeeded. His artwork took him all across Canada.

Dave was recently honoured with a Governor General Meritorious Service Medal. He received a Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation, the Kinsmen's Hal Rogers Fellow, the Rotary's Paul Harris Fellow and the Kiwanis Walter Zeller Fellow.

Dave has left a lasting impact on our community and Canadians across the country.

As chair of veterans affairs and as a friend, I thank Dave. We will miss him.

[Committees of the House, May 7th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, entitled “The Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Financial Health of Veterans Organizations”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[Armenia, April 23rd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, April 24 is Armenian genocide remembrance day, a time to remember and reflect on the horrible crime that led to the deaths of over one million ethnic Armenians during World War I.

During the month of April, we remember all genocides: the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, the Cambodian genocide and far too many others. Governments and people around the word must recognize genocides for the permanent marks of hate they leave on our history.

Tomorrow, I invite all Canadians to join in remembering with our large Armenian Canadian community through online ceremonies. Genocide must never be ignored or denied.

As we honour those lost in the Armenian genocide, remember and proclaim, “Never again”.

[Committees of the House, April 16th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs entitled “Main Estimates 2021-22: Votes 1 and 5 under Department of Veterans Affairs, Vote 1 under Veterans Review and Appeal Board”.

[Copyright Act, April 15th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, it is great to see my very distant cousin on the screen asking a question of me.

I have, in fact, heard of that and many other cases where some of the biggest corporations in the world have a strangle hold. They are using copyright in a way it was not intended. The point of Bill C-272 is to simply make a slight adjustment in the Copyright Act so folks have the opportunity to repair their own devices or take them to a repair shop.

[Copyright Act, April 15th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak a bit more about this. It is easily one of the top reasons I moved on this bill. We have seen such a massive increase over the last number of years of toxic e-waste landing in landfills. The reality is that repairing these devices is more expensive than buying new ones, and that is the challenge I hope is understood.

We need to make these repairs an option for people. If people have the option to repair their devices, the cost of repairing will come down and it becomes a more viable option. We are seeing far too many pieces of equipment, such as televisions, gaming consoles and cellphones, ending up in landfills when they could very easily be repaired.