Is IPTV Legal in Canada?

IPTV simply means delivering TV over internet protocol. Canada’s largest TV providers use it: Bell Fibe TV and Rogers Ignite TV are IPTV services. Apps such as CBC Gem and Crave stream TV over the internet too. None of this is in question.

Under the Copyright Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-42), Justice Laws Website, the owners of films, series and broadcasts control how their work is communicated to the public. A service that streams channels or events without permission from the rights holders infringes copyright, however good its website looks.

• Site blocking (GoldTV): in 2019 the Federal Court ordered major internet providers to block an unauthorized IPTV service. The Federal Court of Appeal upheld the order in 2021 (Torys LLP: Court of Appeal upholds Canada’s first site-blocking order (Teksavvy v. Bell Media, 2021 FCA 100)).
• Dynamic blocking during live sport: in 2022 the Federal Court granted Rogers and other broadcasters an order requiring internet providers to block servers streaming NHL games without permission, updated in real time during games (Osler: Federal Court issues dynamic website-blocking injunction for NHL webcasts (Rogers Media v. John Doe 1, 2022 FC 775)).

These orders mean unauthorized services can stop working suddenly, and customers who prepaid usually lose their money.

Court action in Canada has focused mainly on the people who run and sell unauthorized services. Viewers are not off the hook, though:

• Internet providers forward copyright infringement notices to subscribers under the Copyright Act’s “notice and notice” system.
• Rights holders can sue for infringement, and the Act sets statutory damages, which are lower for non-commercial infringement.
• Unauthorized apps can carry malware, and payments to anonymous sellers are hard to recover.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. If you have a specific legal question, speak to a Canadian lawyer.

• It publishes prices, terms, a privacy policy, a refund policy and business details.
• Its prices make sense for what it offers: thousands of premium channels for a few dollars do not.
• It explains that channel availability depends on rights in your region.
• Carrier TV services are regulated by the CRTC, and you can escalate complaints to the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS).
• It does not ask you to install unverified apps or pay only in crypto or gift cards.

Use our full IPTV provider checklist before you subscribe.