Double Whammy as Infringers are Hit with Two Orders for Statutory Damages

DOUBLEWHAMMYASINFRINGERSAREHITWITHTWOORDERSFORSTATUTORY
DAMAGES

LaurentCarrièreandIrinaDinu*
LEGERROBICRICHARD
,L.L.P.
Lawyers,PatentandTrademarkAgents
CentreCDPCapital
1001Square-Victoria-BlocE–8thFloor
Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7
Tel.(514)9876242-Fax(514)8457874
info@robic.com-www.robic.ca
PRECIS:TheFederalCourthasgrantedsummaryjudgmentstotwoseparate
plaintiffsinactionsclaimingcopyrightinfringementbythesamesetof
defendants.JusticeO’Keefealsograntedstatutorydamagesbasedonthe
attitude,involvementandevidencethatthedefendantsprofitedfromthe
copyrightedworksattheplaintiffs’expenses.
InFilmCityEntertainmentLtdvGoldenFormosaEntertainmentLtd[2006FC
1149;2006-09-27]andFilmCityEntertainmentLtdvChen[2006FC1150;2006-
09-27]theFederalCourtofCanadahasgrantedsummaryjudgmentsand
statutorydamagestotheplaintiffsinactionsclaimingcopyrightinfringement
bythedefendants.JusticeO’Keefegrantedstatutorydamagesbasedon
theattitude,involvementandevidencethatthedefendantsprofitedfrom
thecopyrightedworksattheplaintiffs’expenses.
Inthefirstcase,numerousplaintiffstookactionforcopyrightinfringementina
filmagainstGoldenFormosaEntertainmentLtdandmembersoftheChen
familywhoparticipatedactivelyinthemanagementandoperationsofthe
corporatedefendant.Inthesecondcase,theplaintiffsFilmCity
EntertainmentLtdandtheMotionPictureDevelopmentfoundationROC
tookactionforcopyrightinfringementinatelevisionshow,tothesame
defendantsandothers.Ratherthanwaitingfortrial,theplaintiffsmovedfor
summaryjudgment.FederalCourtRule216,1998,SOR198-106providesthat
ifthecourtisnotsatisfiedthatthereisagenuineissuefortrialwithrespectto
aclaimofdefence,itshallgrantsummaryjudgmentaccordingly.Further,if
thecourtissatisfiedthattheonlygenuineissueistheamounttowhichthe



















































©CIPS,2006.*Lawyerandtrade-markagent,LaurentCarrière,isaseniorpartnerwithLEGERROBIC
RICHARD
,L.L.P.,amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrademarkagents.Irina
Dinuisanarticlingstudentwiththefirm.PublishedinWorldCopyrightLawReport.
Publication328.027.

movingpartyisentitledoraquestionoflaw,itmaygrantinsomecases
summaryjudgment.
Themotionsforsummaryjudgmentwerepromptedbydefencesthatwere
meredenial,togetherwithextensiveevidencethatthefilmandtelevision
showwerecrudeandcounterfeitformsofwork.
Todetermineifasummaryjudgmenthadtobegranted,thejudgeadopted
thegeneralprinciplessummarizedinGrandvilleShippingCovPegasusLines
LtdSA(1996)111FTR189(FCTD)).Thepurposeofasummaryjudgmentisto
allowthecourttosummarilydispensewithcasesthathavenogenuineissue
tobetried.Thetestthathastobeappliedisnotdeterminativeandisnot
whetherapartycannotpossiblysucceedbeforeacourt;ratheritiswhether
thecaseissodoubtfulthatitdoesnotdeservetheconsiderationofatrial.
Eachcaseisdifferentandshouldbeinterpretedaccordingtoitsfactsand
contextualframework,andacourtmaydeterminequestionsoffactandlaw
onthemotionforsummaryjudgment.Nosummaryjudgmentcanbe
grantedifthenecessaryfactscannotbefoundandifitwouldbeunjustto
doso.Finally,iftheissueisseriouswithrespecttocredibility,thecaseshould
gototrialandthepartiescrossexamined.Ahardlookatthemeritsofthe
caseisneededandanapparentconflictintheevidencedoesnotpreclude
summaryjudgment.
Statutoryjudgmentsweregrantedinbothcasessincetherewasnogenuine
issuetobetriedandnoissueastocredibility.Summaryjudgments,including
declarationsofownership,subsistenceofthecopyrightandpermanent
injunctionsweregrantedinbothcases.
Statutorydamageswereintroducedin1997forcircumstancesforwhich
statutoryjudgmentscouldbegranted.Inthesetwocases,thejudge
consideredallrelevantfacts,suchasgoodorbadfaithofthedefendants,
theirconductbeforeandduringtheproceedingsandtheneedtodeter
otherinfringementsofthecopyrightinquestion.Inparticular,the
defendants’involvementinsimilarproceedings,theirattitudetowardthe
judicialprocessandthehighlevelofsophisticationwereconsideredin
determiningtheamountofstatutorydamages.
Further,theobviouscounterfeitnatureoftherecordings,thecontinuing
copyrightinfringementandtheevidencethatthedefendantsprofitedfrom
thecopyrightedworksatplaintiffs’expenseswerealsotakenintoaccount.
Noexemplaryandaggravateddamagesweregranted.

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