The Law in Canada

Whether you upload a movie to the Internet or sell pirated DVD’s on the street, you are committing an action that has serious legal consequences of which you should be aware. National law and international treaties exist to stop people from illegally exploiting valuable copyright protected material.

There are two primary statutes in Canada that deal with copyright infringement, the Copyright Act and the Criminal Code. Under these laws, individuals who infringe copyright can be sued in civil courts or charged criminally. Under civil law, infringers can face damages of $20,000 per work infringed. Under criminal law, infringers can face fines and up to five years in prison.

The Motion Picture Association – Canada and its member companies have a multi-pronged approach to fighting piracy, which includes educating people about the consequences of piracy, taking action against infringers, cooperating with law enforcement authorities around the world to root out pirate operations, and encouraging the development of new technologies that ensure movies can be made available legally over the Internet and other digital media. As an industry, we are working hard to protect our creative works and give our consumers the access they desire.