Canada's AI Strategy Skipped Copyright -- And Publishers Are Demanding Answers

Canada released a 50-page national AI strategy in early June 2026 -- and the word "copyright" does not appear once in it. That omission has triggered pushback from news publishers, music industries, and cultural coalitions who say the government's $2.3 billion AI plan cannot succeed without addressing how AI systems use protected works.

Key Takeaways

• A conspicuous omission. News Media Canada CEO Paul Deegan told The Canadian Press: "You've got basically a 50-page document that came out and the word copyright didn't appear once, which is troubling to news publishers but it's also troubling to music publishers, book publishers and others." He called on the government to leverage procurement policy to require AI suppliers to pledge they won't use content without permission.
• Creators are still unpaid. Marie-Julie Desrochers of the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions -- representing over 50 organizations across book publishing, film, television, and music -- said creators continue to see their work used to train AI platforms without authorization or compensation.
• McGill researcher called it "conspicuous." Taylor Owen, founding director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, released a March 2026 report finding AI systems depend on Canadian journalism for training data while providing no compensation or attribution.
• Legal action is already underway. A coalition of Canadian news outlets including The Canadian Press, Torstar, The Globe and Mail, Postmedia, and CBC/Radio-Canada is pursuing a lawsuit against OpenAI in Ontario over claims their content trained ChatGPT without consent.

The government's response: parliamentary secretary Taleeb Noormohamed called it a "living document" and said consultations are ongoing.

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