End of the Road for Infringing Photographs, Appeal Court Rules

ENDOFTHEROADFORINFRINGINGPHOTOGRAPHS,APPEALCOURT
RULES

LAURENTCARRIÈREANDCLAIRECÉBRON*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
L
AWYERS,ANDPATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS

PRECIS:AnappealcourtconfirmedapermanentinjunctionorderingRTITurboto
removeasetofphotographsfromitswebsite.ThecourtfoundthatRTI,whichhad
arguedthattherespondenthadnorightsinthephotographs,hadconfusedtwo
distinctiverights:thecopyrightsinaphotographandtherightsinthephotographed
objects.
InRTITurboIncvCanadaAlliedDieselCompanyLtd(2007QCA1420;2007-10-
15)theQuébecCourtofAppealhasaffirmedatrialjudge’sdecision(2005CANLII
39802;2005-10-25)toissueapermanentinjunctionorderingtheappellantsto
removecontentiousphotographsfromtheirwebsiteandtostopusingthemin
violationoftherespondent’scopyright.Theappellantsclaimedthattherespondent
hadnorightsinthephotographsandthattheywerenotartisticworksandtherefore
notprotectedbytheCopyrightAct.
CanadaAlliedDieselCompanyLtd(CAD)specializesinthefabrication,
reconstructionandrepairofdieselandlocomotiveengines.Italsodistributesengine
componentsandoffersvariousassociatedservices.RTITurboIncremanufactures
dieselandlocomotiveengines.OgunfoworaToyinandRonnieWallacewere
employedbyCADuntilDecember2000.Theythencreatedtheirownbusiness(RTI)
wheretheyappliedtheexpertisetheyhadacquiredwhileworkingforCAD.
CADaskedthetrialjudgeforaninjunctionto:

·prohibittheappellantsfromusingitstrademark;

·prohibittheappellantsfromusingphotographsownedbyCAD;and

©CIPS,2007.*Lawyerandtrade-markagent,LaurentCarrière,isaseniorpartnerwithLEGERROBICRICHARD,
L.L.P.,
amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrademarkagents.ClaireCébronisan
articlingstudentwiththefirm.Publishedinthe2007-12-10issueofWorldCopyrightLawReport.
Publication328.040.

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·ordertheremovalofthesephotographsfromRTI’swebsite.
CADsubmittedthattheappellantsactedinviolationoftheCopyrightActandthe
Trade-marksAct.CADfurtheraskedthattheappellantsbeorderedtopayC$25,000
indamagesaswellasthecosts.
Beforethetrialjudge,theappellants:

·arguedthatCADdidnotownthephotographs;

·deniedtheuseofCAD’Strademark;

·calledupontheirrighttofreecompetition;and

·assertedthatCAD’Sactionwasabusiveandvexatious.
ToyinandWallacebothclaimedC$50,000incompensatorydamagesandRTI
claimedC$50,000incompensatoryandpunitivedamages.
Afterreviewingthephotographsonthewebsiteandhearingthevarioustestimonies,
thetrialjudgecametotheconclusion,inaccordancewithSections2,3and13of
theCopyrightAct,thatCADdidowncopyrightinthephotographs,whichhadbeen
takenbyCADemployeesandpublishedonCAD’swebsite.Bypublishingthe
photographsontheirwebsitewithoutCAD’sconsent,theappellantshadviolated
CAD’scopyrightinthephotographs.Moreover,Toyin,whowasresponsibleforthe
website’sdevelopment,andWallace,ashareholderinandadministratorofRTI,
shouldhaveknownthatpublishingthesephotographsviolatedCAD’scopyright.The
courtissuedapermanentinjunctionorderingRTI,ToyinandWallacetowithdrawthe
photographsfromRTI’swebsiteandtoceasealluseofanyphotographbelongingto
CAD.ThecourtfinedtheappellantsC$5,000incosts,withinterestandadditional
compensation.ThecourtalsograntedCADC$10,000indamages,withinterestand
additionalcompensation.ThecourtfoundnounauthorizeduseofCAD’strademark.
RTI,ToyinandWallaceappealedthedecision.TheCourtofAppealrejectedthe
appealwithcostsforthefollowingreasons:
First,thecourtfoundthattheappellantsconfusedtwodistinctiverights:the
copyrightsinaphotographandtherightsinthephotographedobjects.Justices
Pelletier,BichandCôténotedthatinordertoholdacopyrightinaphotographunder
theCopyrightAct,itisnotnecessarytohaverightsintheobjectsportrayedinthe
photograph.
Second,thecourtanalyzedthequestionofqualificationforcopyrightandthe
conceptof‘originalworks’.ThecourtstatesthatwithregardtotheCopyrightAct,
creativityisnotnecessaryforaworktoberecognizedasoriginal.AstheSupreme

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CourtofCanadadecidedinCCHCanadianLtdvLawSocietyofUpperCanada
(1004SCC13)autilitarianworkmaybenefitfromtheact’sprotectionaslongasthe
workisoriginal.Anoriginalworkresultsfromtheauthor’stalentandjudgement.
Accordingtothecourtafactualanalysisisnecessarytodetermineifaworkis
originalandprotectedbytheCopyrightAct.AsestablishedinBetaplexincvB&A
ConstructionLtée(2006QCCA886;2006-06-27),suchananalysisisamixed
questionoffactsandlaw.
Theissueattrialwasnotwhetherthecontentiousphotographswerecopiesor
reproductionsofprotectedworks.Allthetrialjudgehadtodecidewasifthe
photographsofusefulobjectsresultedfromtheauthor’stalentandjudgement.In
respecttotheapplicablejudicialnorm,JusticeLangloisfoundthattheywereoriginal
works.Fortheappealtobegranted,theappellants,whoquestionedthetrialjudge’s
perceptionoftheoriginalityofthephotographs,neededtoestablishthatthetrial
judgehadmadeamanifestanddeterminingerror.
Thecourtfoundthatthetrialjudgerightfullyexercisedherdiscretionarypower
regardingtheextrajudiciaryfees,asprovidedspecificallyintheCopyrightAct.The
courtdecidednottopronounceitselfonthequestionofdamagesandadditional
compensationastheappellantsdidnotcontesttheamountofdamages.

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