FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ottawa, June 23, 2016 –Honourable Tobias C. Enverga, Jr., Senator from Ontario, expressed his great joy over Bill C-11, An Act to Amend the Copyright Act (access to copyrighted works or other subject-matter for persons with perceptual disabilities) receiving Royal Assent last night, thus becoming part of Canadian law.
“As the Opposition Critic of Bill C-11, I am delighted to see that the hard work of our previous government, under the leadership of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, came to fruition yesterday when the bill received Royal Assent last night,” said Senator Enverga in a statement.
Bill C-11 is Canada’s legislative response to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled, which was signed on June 27, 2013, to allow for production of alternative formats of books and articles, and the sharing between signatory countries of such products.
“Canada is the 18th country to ratify or accede to the treaty, but we need 20 countries for the Marrakesh Treaty to come into force,” Senator Enverga continued. “By adopting this law, Canada has taken a leadership position on this initiative, and I urge our current government to engage other signatory countries, like the Philippines, to ensure that the Treaty will come into force as soon as possible,” he ended.
Diane Bergeron of CNIB and Louise Gillis of the Canadian Council of the Blind attended the Senate sitting to witness the adoption of the bill in the upper house on June 21, the last legislative stage before Bill C-11 received Royal Assent and became law.
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For more information please contact:
Lars Andersen
Senator Tobias C. Enverga Jr.’s office
613-996- 8895