Government of Canada appoints Justice Martineau to chair Copyright Board of Canada

New chair will be integral to the continued modernization of copyright in Canada

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 13, 2020 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to supporting a well-functioning copyright market, one that enables creators to be paid fairly and on time and that creates new opportunities for innovation.

The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, today announced the appointment of the Honourable Luc Martineau as chair of the Copyright Board of Canada. In this role, Justice Martineau will help further realize reforms to the Board and eliminate backlogs in decision making to ensure a transparent and predictable marketplace. He assumed the chair position on October 2, 2020, for a five-year term.

Justice Martineau, who holds a Master of Law from the University of Ottawa, was called to the Bar of Quebec in 1978 and was a lawyer for 24 years, eventually establishing his own firm in 1996. He was appointed Judge of the Federal Court of Canada and member of the Court of Appeal in January 2002. In April of the same year, he was named Judge of the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada. He was appointed as a member of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal in 2007, serving as the tribunal's president from 2010 to 2014. His extensive experience on the bench will bring invaluable insight to his work with the Copyright Board.

The Government thanks departing chair, Justice Robert A. Blair, who was appointed to the Board in 2015 and has now concluded his mandate. Justice Blair was instrumental in initiating the modernization of the Copyright Board following amendments to the Copyright Act in 2018. His service to the markets overseen by the Board has been of great value.

Quotes

"A well-resourced Copyright Board fulfills an important economic and cultural function for Canadians. We welcome Justice Martineau in his new role and look forward to the important contribution he will make towards the Board's revitalization. We also thank departing chair Justice Blair for his work over the last five years."
– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

"As Canadians, we understand that telling our stories from a uniquely Canadian perspective and ensuring the protection of our content is key to healthy Canadian democracy and culture. I would like to congratulate Justice Martineau on his new role. I would also like to thank Justice Blair for his contribution during his mandate with the Copyright Board."
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage

Quick facts

• The Copyright Board is an economic regulatory body that establishes copyright terms and conditions as well as royalties to be paid for the use of collectively managed copyrights. In 2017, $481 million in royalties were paid to rights holders pursuant to the Board's decisions.
• The Board is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal that operates at arm's length from the Government and reports to Parliament through the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
• Through Canada's Intellectual Property Strategy and the Creative Canada Policy Framework, the Government has taken comprehensive action to tackle delays at the Copyright Board through a 30% increase in financial resources, legislative changes and new appointments.

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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

John Power, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, 343-550-1456, [email protected]; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 343-291-1777, [email protected]