Father of famous children television series obtains the dismissal of a motion for dismissal brought on by defendents

F
ATHEROFFAMOUSCHILDRENTELEVISIONSERIESOBTAINSTHEDISMISSAL
OFAMOTIONFORDISMISSALBROUGHTONBYDEFENDANTS.

LAURENTCARRIÈREANDKARINEJARRY*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
L
AWYERS,ANDPATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS
PRECIS:TheSuperiorCourtofQuebecrefusestograntamotiontodismissanactionfor
beingfrivolousorclearlyunfoundedinlawaftertheplaintiff’sexamination.
InLachancec.ProductionsMarieEykelinc(2008QCCS4698).,theSuperiorCourt
ofQuebecrejectsamotiontodismissanactionbroughtagainstproduction
companiesbyaplaintiffclaimingtobeaco-authorofafamouschildrentelevision
series.
In1968,theplaintiffwasapart-timeemployeeoftheQuebecMinistryofEducation.During
hisemployment,theplaintiff,asaprojectmanager,wasaskedtocreateaneducational
televisionprogramforchildren.TheshowwasproducedandisnowknownasPasse-
Partout.IthasbecomeacultseriesforanentiregenerationofQuebecchildren.
Theplaintiffclaimstobeoneoftheco-authorsoftheseriessinceheparticipatedin
thecreationoftheepisodes,revisedandapprovedthemfortelecast.He
collaboratedtothescripts,directedsomeepisodesandallegestobethecreatorof
manycharactersoftheseries.Hehiredspecialists,script-writers,directors,actors,
musiciansanddesigners.Healsoclaimstohaveworkedontheprojectmostlyinhis
freetime.In1989,hewasawardedaprizeforhiscontributiontotheprogressof
childrenprogramming.Theplaintifffurtherallegesbeingconsideredbymanytobe
thefatheroftheseries.
Thedefendantsaretwoofthethreeprincipalactorsoftheseriesandtheir
respectiveproductioncompany.
InNovember2006andinMay2007,havingobtainedalicencefromthepublic
televisionstationthatfirstairedtheshow,thedefendantslaunchedDVDboxsetsof

©CIPS,2008.*Lawyerandtrade-markagent,LaurentCarrière,isaseniorpartnerwithLEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrade-markagents.KarineJarryisanarticling
studentwiththefirm.PublishedinanOctober2008issueofWorldMediaLawReport.Publication
328.054.

2
episodesoftheseries.Inbothinstances,theplaintiffallegesthatthedefendantsdid
notaskforhisauthorisationforcommercialisingthebox-setnordidtheymakehima
financialoffer.Thenameoftheplaintiffdoesnotappearonthebox-set.
Thedefendantsclaimthatplaintiffdoesnothavecopyrightovertheepisodesand
eveniftheCourtfoundhimtobefirstownerofthecopyright,pursuanttoSection
13(1)oftheCopyrightAct,whichtheydeny,ownershipbelongstohisemployer,
pursuanttoSection13(3)oftheCopyrightAct,sincehewasemployedbythe
MinistryofEducationwhenhecreatedtheseries.Thedefendantsalsoclaimthat
evenifheretainedcopyrightovertheseries,thefactthathedidnotclaimroyalties
formorethan30yearsafterthefirstairingoftheseriesprovesthatheabandoned
hisrightsandisestopped.
TheCourtstatesthatthedismissalofanactionafteranexaminationpursuantto
Section75.1oftheCivilCodeofProcedureisanextraordinarymeasurethatshould
onlybeusedwhenallthefactsofthecase,asrevealedduringtheexamination,do
notsubstantiateinanywaytheremedysoughtbytheplaintiff.
Section55oftheCivilCodeofProcedureisthenexaminedtoseeiftheplaintiffhas
sufficientinteresttofilethesuit.Indoingso,theCourtstatesthatithastodetermine
ifhehasownershipofthecopyrightsthusexaminingthemeritsofthecase,a
questionthatcannotbeexaminedatthispointoftheproceedings.
TheCourtaddsthatthequestionofwhoownsthecopyrightneedstobeassessed
withathoroughexamoftheemploymentcontractandapossibleassignmentof
rights,orlackthereof.Duringhisexamination,theplaintiffrecognisedtheexistence
ofaservicecontractbetweenhimandtheMinistryofEducationbutalsostatedthat
thecreationoftheserieswasmadeoutsideofhisworkmandate.Thus,foraworkto
bedeemedtheproductofanemploymentunderSection13(3)oftheCopyrightAct,
threecriteriamustbemet:1)theworkmusthavebeencreatedpursuanttoa
contractofserviceorapprenticeship;2)theworkmusthavebeencreatedwhile
working;3)unlessotherwisestipulatedinthecontract.Theanswerinthepresent
caseisnotclear-cutandwarrantsathoroughexamination,somethingthatonce
againgoesoutsidethescopeofthepresentproceedingsaccordingtotheCourt.
Similarly,theCourtstatesthatthereisnoclearevidence,primafacie,toprovethat
theplaintiffrenouncedtacitlytohisrightsbynotclaiminganyroyalties.The
renunciationofrightsmustbeclear,expressandnon-ambiguousandisnot
presumed.Inorderforittobetacit,thefactsmustshowanobviousintentto
abandontherights.Fromthefactsofthecase,theCourtargues,thatitisnotclear,
evenmoresosincethesuitconcernsDVDswhichdidnotexist30yearsbefore.
Howcanonerelinquisharightthatdidnotexistandthatonehasnoknowledgeof,
theCourtasks.

3
Finally,inordertofindtheactiontobeestopped,theCourtmustdetermineifthe
plaintiffwasatfaultandprofitedfromhisdelayingbehaviour,somethingthatcalls
alsoforanin-depthanalysis,afterafulltrial.
Sinceallthesequestionsaredeemedtobeimportant,complexandnotfrivolousor
unfoundedinlaw,theSuperiorCourtrejectsdefendants’motiontodismissthe
action.

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