Canada take a major step towards introducing the Artist’s Resale Right in their Federal Budget
Canada has taken a significant step toward recognising the long-term value artists bring to the cultural and commercial landscape, with the Artist’s Resale Right (ARR) included in the Federal Budget for the first time.
The government’s 2025 budget commits to amending Canada’s Copyright Act to establish a right that ensures Canadian visual artists can receive a royalty when their work is resold through eligible secondary market channels, such as auction houses and galleries. If implemented, Canada would join more than 90 countries that already legislate this right, including the UK.
For artists, the Artist’s Resale right represents a meaningful additional income stream and an acknowledgment of their ongoing role in generating value from their work. In the UK, it gives artists and their beneficiaries a right to a payment every time their work is resold for £1000 or more, which has enabled artists and estates to claim over £134 million in royalties since 2006.
National associations CARFAC and RAAV jointly celebrated the development as a milestone but emphasised that this is only the beginning. Both organisations look forward to Parliament’s approval of the budget and to working with government as details of the legislation and implementation emerge.
The news comes at a timely moment internationally, as the Artist’s Resale Right approaches its 20th anniversary in the UK - a milestone that highlights both the longevity and the proven impact of the right in supporting artists’ livelihoods. Canada’s move signals growing global recognition of artists’ rights as their works gain value over time.
