Federal Court of Canada Rules on Copyright Ownership
1
FEDERALCOURTOFCANADARULESONCOPYRIGHTOWNERSHIP
AlexandraSteele
LEGERROBICRICHARD,Lawyers
ROBIC,Patent&Trade-MarkAgents
55St-Jacques,Montreal(Quebec)CanadaH2Y3X2
Tel.(514)987-6242-Fax(514)845-7874
E-mail:marion@robic.com–WebSite:www.robic.ca
Inarecentcaseopposingtheexecutorandbeneficiaryofanauthor’sestate
andtheassigneeofthecopyrightinthebooksoftheauthor,theFederal
CourtofCanadawasaskedtoruleontheissueofcopyrightownershipofthe
author’swork.Inordertodecidetheissueatbar,theCourtmorespecifically
addressedthequestionsofreversionaryinterestandtheexpungementofa
copyrightregistration(KelleyEstatev.Roy,2002FCT950,September12,2002,
GibsonJ.).
Thefacts
ThelateThomasP.Kelley(“Kelley”)wasaCanadianauthor,whoin1968,
assignedhiscopyrightinandfortwo(2)bookstoSaroyFilmProductionof
CanadaLtd.(“Saroy”)inconsiderationofaonetimepayment.The
assignmentincludedpublicationrights,aswellasmotionpicturerights.Saroy
thereafterapproachedFireflyBooksLimited(“Firefly”)topublishanddistribute
theKelleybooks.SeveralyearsafterKelleypassedaway,theexecutorand
beneficiaryofhisestate,TheresiaWinkler(“Winkler”)attemptedtoascertain
thescopeoftheassignmenttoSaroyinordertodetermineifroyaltieswere
duetotheKelleyEstate.WinklerwrotetoFireflyaskingittoceaseanddesist
frompublishinganddistributingtheKelleybookspendingtheoutcomeofthe
litigationandFireflycomplied.Winkleralsoregisteredhercopyrightinterestin
andfortheKelleybookswiththeCanadianCopyrightOffice.Itwasbrought
toWinkler’sattentionthatPagurianPressLtd.(“Pagurian”),apublisherwho
hadprintedtheKelleybookspriortoFirefly,hadalreadyregistereda
copyrightinterestinandfortheKelleybooks.
Theissuesatbar
TheCourtconsideredandruledonthefollowingissues: