Throughout 2024, the right to repair has gained significant traction in Canada. With Bill C-244 and Bill C-294 in the final stages and under review by the Senate, the right to repair movement shows no signs of slowing down.
While not directly tailored to the auto care industry, these bills represent a significant step toward a broader national framework for the right to repair movement.
Bills C-244 and C-294 propose critical amendments to the Copyright Act, allowing individuals to bypass digital locks for specific purposes. Bill C-244 focuses on allowing consumers to bypass digital locks to repair and maintain products, ensuring they do not infringe on copyright law while servicing their goods. This means that individuals can legally bypass these restrictions — a significant win for repair advocates.
Bill C-294, on the other hand, addresses the need for interoperability between different programs or technologies, ensuring that one system or device can work seamlessly with another without infringing on copyright laws.
Although these bills make headway in addressing repair rights, they do not include a specific carve-out for vehicles. No penalties are outlined for non-compliance by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the automotive industry, which leaves a significant gap for our sector. Furthermore, the bills stop short of addressing the root issue for automotive right to repair — consumer data ownership.
While we are encouraged by the progress of Bills C-244 and C-294, the goal remains to achieve standalone legislation for the automotive right to repair. Similar to the legislation passed in Australia, such a law would demonstrate a commitment to our industry and consumers’ unique needs.
Standalone legislation would establish that consumers own their vehicle data, allowing them complete control and free will as to where they take their vehicle for maintenance and repair.
When it comes to achieving standalone right to repair legislation, consumer support is key. A recent study found that 94 per cent of Canadians agree that they should be able to get their vehicles serviced at any repair shop, and 83 per cent believe automakers should be legally required to share repair data with independent shops.
For consumers, the right to repair is about protecting their choice. It ensures they can shop around for the best price and service, maintaining healthy competition in the market. For the automotive industry, it is about safeguarding the livelihoods of over 500,000 workers who depend on access to repair data to service vehicles across Canada.
While Bills C-244 and C-294 represent meaningful progress, our work is far from over. We will continue advocating for standalone automotive legislation that guarantees consumer rights, fosters competition, and holds manufacturers accountable. To advocate for the right to repair, visit our website, righttorepair.ca, to get started.
Emily Holtby serves as vice president, government relations for the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada). She leads the Association’s advocacy work with federal and provincial governments, representing AIA Canada in meetings with government officials, staff and external stakeholders.
This article originally appeared in the November issue of Jobber News
The post <span style=color:#ff0000>From the Magazine:</span> The road ahead for right to repair appeared first on Auto Service World.
