Canadian government appoints chair of Copyright Board
Justice Luc Martineau has been appointed as chair of the Copyright Board of Canada, the regulatory body that establishes copyright terms and conditions.
The Canadian government announced the appointment of Martineau yesterday, October 13. He assumed the chair position on October 2, 2020, for a five-year term.
Navdeep Bains, minister of innovation, science and industry, said: “A well-resourced Copyright Board fulfils 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 revitalisation.”
Martineau was appointed a 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.
In 2007, Martineau was appointed as a member of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal in 2007, and served as president of the tribunal from 2010 to 2014.
“His extensive experience on the bench will bring invaluable insight to his work with the Copyright Board,” said the announcement. “In this role, Justice Martineau will help further realise reforms to the board and eliminate backlogs in decision making to ensure a transparent and predictable marketplace.”
The government thanked departing chair, Justice Robert Blair, who was appointed to the board in 2015. “Blair was instrumental in initiating the modernisation 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,” said the government.
In addition to establishing copyright terms and conditions, the Copyright Board establishes the royalties to be paid for the use of collectively managed copyrights.
In 2017, $481 million ($366 million) in royalties were paid to rights owners pursuant to the board's decisions.
To tackle delays at the Copyright Board, the government has increased financial resources by 30% and made legislative changes and new appointments.
Did you enjoy reading this story? Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories sent like this straight to your inbox
Today’s top stories
Ireland abolishes IP tax incentive
Lawyers keenly-awaiting Arthrex showdown
