91439 Canada ltée v. Editions JCL Inc. et al., (1994) 175 N.R. 241 (FCA)

• Judge: Hugessen, Desjardins and Décary, JJ.A.
• Court: Federal Court of Appeal (Canada)
• Case Date: September 23, 1994
• Jurisdiction: Canada (Federal)
• Citations: (1994), 175 N.R. 241 (FCA)

91439 Can. ltée v. Editions JCL Inc. (1994), 175 N.R. 241 (FCA)

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

....................

Les Editions JCL Inc. (défenderesse/appelante) v. 91439 Canada Ltée (demanderesse/intimée)

(A-174-92)

Indexed As: 91439 Canada ltée v. Editions JCL Inc. et al.

Federal Court of Appeal

Hugessen, Desjardins and

Décary, JJ.A.

September 23, 1994.

Summary:

The plaintiff sued the defendant for copy­right infringement.

The Federal Court of Canada, Trial Divi­sion, in a judgment reported 52 F.T.R. 61, allowed the action. The court awarded the plaintiff $52,202.90 damages for conversion (Copyright Act, s. 38) and for profits earned on some of the copies sold. The defendant appealed the damage award. The plaintiff cross-appealed.

The Federal Court of Appeal allowed both the appeal and cross-appeal in part. The court reduced the damage award to $16,770.26.

Copyright - Topic 4586

Infringement of copyright - Remedies - Damages - The defendant publisher printed 4,010 copies of a book infringing the plaintiff's copyright - 1,378 copies were sold - 3,513 copies were withdrawn from the market and destroyed - Section 38 of the Copyright Act deemed all the defendant's books to be property of the plaintiff and the defendant was liable for conversion - The trial judge awarded $52,202.90 damages, being $51,929.50 for conversion (4,010 unsold copies times selling price of $12.95) and $273.40 for lost profits on 94 of the 1,378 copies sold - The Federal Court of Appeal reduced the award to $16,770.26, being $16,770.26 for conversion (1,378 sold copies times selling price less promotion costs) plus $3,996.20 for lost profits (1,378 sold copies times $2.90), less $3,996.20 to avoid damages for conversion duplicating damages for lost profits - The court refused to award s. 38 damages for the 3,513 destroyed copies, because although they were converted, they had no value.

Cases Noticed:

Infabrics Ltd. v. Jaytex Ltd., [1982] A.C. 1 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 9, footnote 5].

Lewis Trusts v. Bambers Stores Ltd., [1983] F.S.R. 453 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 9, footnote 5].

Caxton Publishing Co. v. Sutherland Pub­lishing Co., [1939] A.C. 178 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 10, footnote 6].

Pro Arts Inc. v. Campus Crafts Holdings Ltd. (1980), 50 C.P.R.(2d) 230 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [para. 10, footnote 6].

Hopkins (Tom) International Inc. v. Wall & Redekop Realty Ltd. (1985), 6 C.P.R.(3d) 475 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 12].

Wham-O Manufacturing Co. v. Lincoln Industries Ltd., [1985] R.P.C. 127, refd to. [para. 12, footnote 7].

Mawman v. Tegg (1826), 2 Russ. 385, refd to. [para. 19, footnote 9].

Beauchemin v. Cadieux (1900), 10 B.R. 255 (Que. C.A.), refd to. [para. 19, foot­note 9].

Cardwell v. Leduc, [1963] Ex. C.R. 207, refd to. [para. 19, footnote 9].

Cartwright v. Wharton (1912), 25 O.L.R. 357 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 19, footnote 9].

Ash v. Dickie, [1936] 1 Ch. 655 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 20, footnote 10].

Ravenscroft v. Herbert, [1980] R.P.C. 193 (Ch. D.), refd to. [para. 20, footnote 10].

Brine (W.H.) v. Whitton (1981), 37 A.L.R. 190 (Aust. F.C.), refd to. [para. 21, foot­note 11].

Girard v. Lavoie, [1973] C.A. 904 (Que.), refd to. [para. 27, footnote 14].

Voyageur (1969) Inc. v. Ally, [1977] C.A. 581 (Que.), refd to. [para. 27, footnote 14].

Trottier v. British American Oil Co., [1977] C.A. 576 (Que.), refd to. [para. 27, footnote 14].

Statutes Noticed:

Civil Code of Lower Canada, art. 1056c [para. 25, footnote 13].

Copyright Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-42, sect. 35 [para. 9]; sect. 38 [para. 5, footnote 2].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Baudouin, J.L., La responsabilité civile délictuelle, 3e éd., 1990, p. 172 [para. 27, footnote 14].

Copinger and Skone James on Copyright (13th Ed. 1991), p. 348 [para. 21, foot­note 11].

Dukelow, A., and Nuse, B., The Dic­tionary of Canadian Law (1991), p. 214 [para. 14, footnote 8].

Counsel:

Vivianne de Kinder and Doris Thibault, for the appellant;

Laurent Carrière and Philippe Van Eeckhout, for the respondent.

Solicitors of Record:

Simard, Thibault, Gagnon, Chicoutimi, Quebec, for the appellant;

Léger, Robic, Richard, Montreal, Quebec, for the respondent.

This appeal and cross-appeal were heard at Montreal, Quebec, on September 13, 1994, before Hugessen, Desjardins and Décary, JJ.A., of the Federal Court of Appeal.

On September 23, 1994, Décary, J.A., delivered the following judgment for the Court of Appeal.