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DEFINITION OF THE RIGHT TO REPAIR.
DEFINITION OF THE RIGHT TO REPAIR.
The right to repair guarantees that goods, owned or leased, are repairable and the possibility of having them repaired at a reasonable price, within a reasonable time-frame and by the repair service of the user or owner's choice.
CanRepair thanks Équiterre for its leadership and contributions to the Coalition in developing the following comprehensive framework definition of the right to repair in Canada.
1.
REPAIRABILITY.
1.
REPAIRABILITY.
Repairability means:
Availability and accessibility of parts, tools - including software - and documentation within a reasonable time after product commercialization, both for individuals and various types of repair businesses
Access to generic or where that is not possible, through custom parts supply (e.g. 3D printing) both for individuals and various types of repair businesses
Prohibition or regulation of voluntary irreparability (e.g. part pairing and bundling)
Availability and accessibility of past operating software versions and security updates
Repairs can be carried out using commonly available tools
Interoperability
Real-time bidirectional data sharing to enable repairs
2.
REASONABLE PRICE.
2.
REASONABLE PRICE.
Reasonable price means:
The total repair price should not exceed a certain percentage of the price of a new product (e.g. between 18% and 40% of this price*)
The total repair price should be proportional to the nature of the repair or the part to be replaced (replacing one small part should be cheaper than replacing various parts or a main part)
The individual price of each part should not exceed a certain percentage of the price of the new good (e.g. 15% to 20%**)
Parts, tools, software and documentation should cost the same to anyone who purchases them (individual, independent repair business, authorized repair or service centre, Repair Café)
*Fachbach and al., 2022; ADEME, 2021; Joint Research Center, 2019 and McCollough, 2007.
**Le Club de la durabilité, 2023.
3.
REASONABLE TIMEFRAME.
3.
REASONABLE TIMEFRAME.
Reasonable timeframe:
Applies to the repair itself, but also to the delivery of parts or tools, both for individuals and various types or repair business
Takes into account the nature of the good (reasonable time-frame for goods used on a daily basis, such as a refrigerator, should be shorter)
Takes into account the extent of the repair required (replacing one part should take less time than replacing various parts)
4.
CHOICE OF REPAIR SERVICE.
4.
CHOICE OF REPAIR SERVICE.
Choice of repair service means:
Measures to allow self-repair*
Manufacturer's warranty is maintained despite repairs by a third party**
Access to repair services must be available throughout the country, including indigenous communities, rural and remote areas
Possibility to choose spare parts sourcing (used or new)
*For example, the French legislation states that if a manufacturer has given adequate safety instructions to enable an individual to carry out self-repair, the manufacturer cannot be held liable for damage occurring during self-repair if this damage is due to failure to follow the given instructions.
**In the U.S., the anti-tying provision of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act bars manufacturers from using access to warranty coverage as a way of obstructing consumers’ ability to have their consumer products maintained or repaired using third-party replacement parts and independent repair shops.
Federal Action on Right to Repair
Below you will find information on developments at the federal level regarding right to repair. For information about what is happening in your province, visit our "Repair in Your Region" page .
The 2021 Liberal Party of Canada Campaign platform committed to..
Amend the Copyright Act to ensure that its provisions cannot prevent the repair of digital devices and systems, even when nothing is being copied or distributed
This was achieved with the passage of bills C-244, which amended the Copyright Act so that the diagnosis, maintenance and repair of digital devices and systems can not be prevented and C-294, which amended the same Act to ensure that the circumvention of digital locks, designed to prevent inoperability, can also not be prevented
Introduce a new 15% tax credit to cover the cost of home appliance repairs performed by technicians (up to $500)
This commitment has not yet been fulfilled
Implement a “right to repair” to extend the life of home appliances, particularly electronics, by requiring manufacturers to supply repair manuals and spare parts and facilitate their replication after the part is no longer produced
This commitment is a work in progress. Bill C-59 has amended the Competition Act to prevent manufacturers from refusing, in an anti-competitive manner, to provide the parts, tools, or software needed to fix devices and products
In Budget 2024, the government committed to launch consultations in June 2024 to develop a right to repair framework, which will focus on durability, repairability, and interoperability
Introduce a bill that includes provisions to better inform citizens of the environmental impacts of consumer products
Require businesses to inform Canadians of the environmental impacts of consumer products
These commitments are a work in progress. In Budget 2024, the government committed to launch consultations in June 2024 to develop a right to repair framework, which will focus on durability, repairability, and interoperability. The budget also noted that the government was exploring the merits of a durability index
In Budget 2024, further commitments were made, by the federal government, on the issue of right to repair....
The Budget stated that further details on the right to repair framework on home appliances and electronic devices will be announced in the coming months and that the government was exploring how to address:
Planned obsolescence
The merits of a durability index
If there is the need for further federal legislative changes to support the right to repair.
This commitment has not yet been fulfilled. As of the current time, no further details on a federal right to repair framework have been released publicly.
The government committed to holding consultations, in 2024, to develop a right to repair framework, which would focus on durability, repairability, and interoperability.
This commitment is a work in progress. Online consultations were held and following this, the federal government stated that they were planning on holding a number of roundtable discussions with representatives from a range of consumer and industry stakeholders.
Roundtable discussions were also said to be planned for the agricultural sector, with a focus on interoperability and farm equipment
The federal government called on provinces and territories to amend their contract laws to support a right to repair and interoperability
This is a work in progress. So far only Quebec has taken this action, see our Repair in Your Region page for more information in efforts made by provinces so far
Positions taken by Opposition Parties
In the 2025 federal election, the Green Party platform included commitments to..
Enact national Right to Repair legislation requiring manufacturers to provide consumers and independent repair businesses with affordable replacement parts, tools, and repair information, significantly reducing electronic waste and extending product lifespan.
Reform Canada’s copyright and intellectual property laws to allow Canadians to bypass digital restrictions for the purpose of repairing, modifying, or repurposing products they own — including US manufactured devices subject to restrictive firmware or software locks.
Introduce a federal sustainability index for household appliances and electronics, enabling consumers to choose products based on repairability, durability, and environmental impact.
In the 2025 federal election, the Bloc Quebecois platform pledged to…
“Support Quebec consumers by fighting for the right to repair and against planned obsolescence.”
Last updated: August 20th 2025
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