Robertson v. Thomson Corp. et al., [2001] O.T.C. 723 (SupCt)

• Judge: Cumming, J.
• Court: Superior Court of Justice of Ontario (Canada)
• Case Date: October 03, 2001
• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Citations: [2001] O.T.C. 723 (SupCt)

Robertson v. Thomson Corp., [2001] O.T.C. 723 (SupCt)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2001] O.T.C. TBEd. OC.012

Heather Robertson (plaintiff) v. The Thomson Corporation, Thomson Canada Limited, Thomson Affiliates, Information Access Company, and Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. (defendants)

(Court File No. 96-CU-110595)

Indexed As: Robertson v. Thomson Corp. et al.

Court of Ontario

Superior Court of Justice

Cumming, J.

October 3, 2001.

Summary:

This headnote contains no summary.

Copyright - Topic 1003

Works subject to copyright - General - Literary works (incl. compilations and collective works) - See paragraphs 1 to 128.

Copyright - Topic 3062

Licences - Licence statements - Interpretation - See paragraphs 130 to 134.

Copyright - Topic 4563

Infringement of copyright - Internet, On-line services, CD Rom and other electronic media - Newspapers and newspaper articles - See paragraphs 1 to 177.

Cases Noticed:

Dawson et al. v. Rexcraft Storage and Warehouse Inc. et al. (1998), 111 O.A.C. 201; 164 D.L.R.(4th) 257 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 9].

Blue Crest Music Inc. et al. v. Compo Co. (1979), 29 N.R. 296; 45 C.P.R.(2d) 1 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 22].

Apple Computer Inc. et al. v. MacKintosh Computers Ltd. et al., [1987] 1 F.C. 173; 3 F.T.R. 118; 10 C.P.R.(3d) 1 (T.D.), affd. (1987), 81 N.R. 3; 18 C.P.R.(3d) 129 (F.C.A.), affd. [1990] 2 S.C.R. 209; 110 N.R. 66 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 22].

De Montigny v. Cousineau, [1950] S.C.R. 297, refd to. [para. 25].

Chappell & Co. v. Redwood Music Ltd., [1980] 2 All E.R. 817 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 30].

Tele-Direct (Publications) Inc. v. American Business Information Inc. (1997), 221 N.R. 113; 154 D.L.R.(4th) 328 (F.C.A.), leave to appeal dismissed (1998), 228 N.R. 200 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 30].

CCH Canadian Ltd. et al. v. Law Society of Upper Canada (1999), 169 F.T.R. 1; 2 C.P.R.(4th) 129 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 32].

Allen v. Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. (1997), 105 O.A.C. 191; 78 C.P.R.(3d) 115 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 33].

Edutile Inc. v. Automotive Protection Association (2000), 255 N.R. 147; 188 D.L.R.(4th) 132 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 35].

New York Times Co. v. Tasini, [2001] SCT-QL 139 NO. 00-201 (U.S. Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 93].

Downtown King West Development Corp. v. Massey Ferguson Industries Ltd. (1996), 89 O.A.C. 373; 28 O.R.(3d) 327 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 133].

Stepps Investments Ltd. et al. v. Security Capital Corp. (1976), 14 O.R.(2d) 259 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 133].

Bishop v. Télé-Métropole Inc. (1990), 111 N.R. 376; 31 C.P.R.(3d) 394 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 139].

Bishop v. Stevens - see Bishop v. Télé-Métropole Inc.

Canadian Pacific Hotels Ltd. v. Bank of Montreal, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 711; 77 N.R. 161; 21 O.A.C. 321, refd to. [para. 141].

Pacific National Investments Ltd. v. Victoria (City) et al. (2000), 263 N.R. 1; 144 B.C.A.C. 203; 236 W.A.C. 203; 193 D.L.R.(4th) 385 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 142].

Liverpool City Council v. Irwin, [1977] A.C. 239 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 142].

Georgia Construction Co. v. Pacific Great Eastern Railway Co., [1929] S.C.R. 630, refd to. [para. 142].

Cunliffe-Owen v. Teather & Greenwood, [1967] 1 W.L.R. 1421 (Ch. D.), refd to. [para. 142].

International Corona Resources Ltd. v. LAC Minerals Ltd., [1989] 2 S.C.R. 574; 101 N.R. 239; 36 O.A.C. 57; 61 D.L.R.(4th) 14; 35 E.T.R. 1; 44 B.L.R. 1; 26 C.P.R.(3d) 97, refd to. [para. 142].

Le Sueur v. Morang & Co. (1910), 20 O.L.R. 594 (C.A.), affd. [1911] 45 S.C.R. 95, refd to. [para. 142].

Hager v. ECW Press Ltd. et al. (1998), 158 F.T.R. 44; 85 C.P.R.(3d) 289 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 143].

Gribble v. Manitoba Free Press Ltd., [1932] 1 D.L.R. 169 (Man. C.A.), refd to. [para. 143].

Beck et al. v. Montana Constructions Pty. Ltd. et al. (1963), 5 F.L.R. 298 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 156].

Blair v. Osborne & Tomkins et al., [1971] 2 Q.B. 78 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 156].

Netupsky v. Dominion Bridge Co., [1972] S.C.R. 368, refd to. [para. 156].

Cselko Associates Inc. v. Zeller's Inc. (1992), 44 C.P.R.(3d) 56 (Ont. Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 158].

Sutherland (Robert D.) Architects Ltd. v. Montykola Investments Inc. et al. (1996), 150 N.S.R.(2d) 281; 436 A.P.R. 281; 73 C.P.R.(3d) 269 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 158].

M.J.B. Enterprises Ltd. v. Defence Construction (1951) Co. et al., [1999] 1 S.C.R. 619; 237 N.R. 334; 232 A.R. 360; 195 W.A.C. 360; 170 D.L.R.(4th) 577, refd to. [para. 160].

Heap v. Hartley (1889), 42 Ch. D. 461 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 162].

Katz v. Cytrynbaum (1983), 2 D.L.R.(4th) 52 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 168].

Canadian Superior Oil Ltd. v. Paddon-Hughes Development Co., [1970] S.C.R. 932, refd to. [para. 169].

Film Investors Overseas Services SA v. Home Video Channel, [1997] E.M.L.R. 347, refd to. [para. 170].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Fox, Harold G., Canadian Law of Copyright and Industrial Design (2nd Ed. 1967), p. 298 [para. 162].

Fox, Harold G., Canadian Law of Copyright and Industrial Designs (3rd Ed. 2000), pp. 124 [para. 30]; 343 [para. 88]; 389 [para. 164].

Haemmerli, Commentary on Tasini v. New York Times Co. (1998), 22 Colum. VLA J.L. & Arts 129, pp. 142, 143 [para. 103].

McKeown, John S., Canadian Law of Copyright and Industrial Designs - see Fox, Harold G., Canadian Law of Copyright and Industrial Designs (3rd Ed. 2000).

Symposium on Electronic Rights in International Perspective (1998), Colum. VLA J.L. & Arts 177, generally [para. 110].

Vaver, David, Copyright Law (2000), pp. 1 to 12 [para. 24].

Counsel:

Michael McGowan, Kirk M. Baert, Christopher J. Kvas, Nancy A. Miller and Gabrielle Pop-Lazic, for the plaintiff;

Sheila Block, Wendy Matheson and Andrew Bernstein, for the defendants.

This application was heard on May 7-9, 2001, before Cumming, J., of the Ontario Superior Court, who released the following decision on October 3, 2001.

Please note: The following judgment has not been edited.