No Score for Setanta Sport in Broadcasting Spat

N
OSCOREFORSETANTASPORTINBROADCASTINGSPAT

LAURENTCARRIÈREANDCLAIRECÉBRON*
LEGERROBICRICHARD
,L.L.P.
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADEMARKAGENTS
PRECIS:TheFederalCourthasdismissedamotionforaninterlocutoryinjunctionto
restrainagroupofsportsbarsfromshowingcertainEuropeansoccermatcheson
theirpremises.JusticeHughesheldthatSetantaSportLtdwasunabletoproveits
case,duepartlytoinsufficientevidenceregardingcopyrightownership.
InSetantaSportLimitedv2049630OntarioInc(VerdeMinhoTapas&Lounge)the
FederalCourthasdismissedamotionforaninterlocutoryinjunctiontorestrainthe
defendantsfromprojectingcertainEuropeansoccermatchesintheirpremises.The
plaintiff,SetantaSportLimited,claimedtoowncopyrightandbroadcastrightsin
thesetelevisedmatches.
ThematchesaretransmittedtoCanadaviaencryptedsatellitesignalsandthe
defendants(mostlysportsbars)wereaccusedoftransmittingthesesportingevents
totheirclientelethroughtelevisionsetslocatedintheaffectedbars.
Thecourtbaseditsdecisiononfourcounts.First,itheldSetantaSport’sevidence
regardingcopyrighttobeinsufficient.Further,thecopyrightcertificatespresentedby
SetantaSportindicatethatitistheauthorofdramaticworksforwhichitinvokesthe
existenceofacopyright.YetinregardtotheCopyrightActanauthormustbea
humanbeingoragroupofhumanbeings.Theactisexplicitwhenitcomesto
recognizingacorporationwithnohumanlifetimeasthepossessoroforiginal
copyrights.Accordingtothecourt,SetantaSportfailedtoevidenceitsacquisitionof
suchrights.Inaddition,itdidnotestablish,inregardtoSection5oftheact,thatthe
authorofthecopyrightwaseitheracitizenorsubjectordinarilyresidentinatreaty
countryandthatthework,ifpublished,wasfirstpublishedinthatparticularcountry.
Second,inaccordancewithParagraph39.1(2)boftheCopyrightAct,foracourtto
beabletoextendaninjunctiongenerallygrantedwhencopyrightexistsinaworkto



















































©CIPS,2007.*Lawyerandtrade-markagent,LaurentCarrière,isaseniorpartnerwithLEGERROBICRICHARD,
L.L.P.,
amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrademarkagents.ClaireCébronisan
articlingstudentwiththefirm.Publishedinthe2007-10issueofWorldCopyrightLawReport.
Publication328.039.

2
aworknotyetinexistence,theplaintiffmustbeabletoprovethelikelihoodoffuture
existenceandauthorshipofthework.SetantaSportdidnotdoso.
Third,thecourtrespondedtoSetantaSport’sevocationoftheRadiocommunication
Act.SetantaSportclaimedtobetheholderof“broadcastrightsforNorthAmerica”.
Yet,thenatureoftheserightswasnotexplainednorhowtheywereobtained,where
theycamefrom,norwhatgroundtheycovered.Consequently,SetantaSportfailed
todemonstratethatitwasthe‘lawfuldistributor’oftheaffectedencodedsignal.Only
suchalawfuldistributorisentitledtoauthorizeapersonfromdecodinganencoded
signal.
Fourth,thecourtnotedthattheinjunctionsoughtwasnotspecificenough.Itaimed
torestrainthedefendantsfromshowing“allmatches”thatarepresentedonthe
SetantaSportChannel.Yet,noinformationwasprovidedregardingthesematches,
theirrelatedcopyrightsorthefactthatSetantaSportistheholderofthedistribution
rightsinCanada.
Finally,JusticeHughespointedoutthatSetantaSport’sfailuretopresentsufficient
evidencehadalreadybeenaddressedbythecourtinarelatedcase(1395047
OntarioIncvNewAtlanticoCaféandRestauranteInc).
Forallthesereasons,thecourtdismissedthemotionduetoSetantaSport’sinability
toproveitscase.Howeverthecourtallowedittoreapplyifbetterevidenceis
provided.

3
ROBIC,ungroupedavocatsetdagentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommerce
vouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriétéintellectuelle
danstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèlesutilitaires;marques
decommerce,marquesdecertificationetappellationsdorigine;droitsdauteur,
propriétélittéraireetartistique,droitsvoisinsetdelartisteinterprète;informatique,
logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,pharmaceutiquesetobtentions
végétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howetconcurrence;licences,franchiseset
transfertsdetechnologies;commerceélectronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;
marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligente
etaudit.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicated
since1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:
patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksand
indicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,
neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,
pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-how,competitionandanti-
trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-commerce,distributionand
businesslaw;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;
duediligence.
COPYRIGHTER
IDEASLIVEHERE
ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLULINVENTER!
LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
LEGERROBICRICHARD
NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
PATENTER
R
ROBIC
ROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
ROBIC++++
ROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TRADEMARKER
VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDE
LAPLANÈTE
YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOUR
IDEASTOTHEWORLD

4