Privileged and Confidential Information and Anton Piller Orders for Search and Seizure
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PRIVILEGEDANDCONFIDENTIALINFORMATIONANDANTONPILLERORDERS
FORSEARCHANDSEIZURE
AlexandraSteele*
LEGERROBICRICHARD
,L.L.P.
Lawyers,PatentandTrademarkAgents
CentreCDPCapital
1001Square-Victoria–BlocE–8thFloor
Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7
Tel.(514)9876242–Fax(514)8457874
www.robic.ca–info@robic.com
Inthecontextofintellectualpropertylitigation,anAntonPillerOrderisan
orderoftheCourtwhichallowsaplaintiffwhoknows,orhasreasonto
believe,thatadefendanthasdealtincounterfeitorinfringingproductsto
searchthedefendant’spremisesandtoseizeandremoveallinfringingor
counterfeitmaterials,includingcomputersoftwareandotheritemsthathave
servedtomaketheunauthorizedproducts.Inaddition,thedefendantis
temporarilyrestrainedfromfurtherdealingintheinfringingorcounterfeit
products.
ThisproceduregetsitsnamefromthefirstsuchorderissuedintheU.K.inthe
caseofAntonPillerKGv.ManufacturingProcessesLtd.,[1976]1Ch.D.55
(C.A.).Thisisaveryexceptionalcivilprocedureandonceitisgranted,the
lawyersfortheplaintiffareentrustedwiththeenforcementoftheorder.Ifthe
orderisnotscrupulouslyfollowed,thenthedefendantcanasktheCourtto
rescindtheorderandtheplaintiffmaybeliabletopaydamagestothe
defendant.
AmongstthemanyobligationsresultingfromanAntonPillerOrder,the
lawyersresponsibleforitsenforcementmustlistallofthematerialsseizedand
acopyofthelistmustbegiventothedefendantbeforeleavingthe
premises.Thisposesapracticalproblemwheninformationisseizedfroma
computer,asthereareoftencountlessfilesthatcannotbeindividually
examinedatthetimeoftheenforcementoftheOrder.Thiswasthecasein
thematterofCelaneseCanadaInc.v.MurrayDemolitionCorp.(2006SCC
36(S.C.C.),July27,2006)wheredespiteanAntonPillerOrderclearlyrequiring
plaintiff’slawyerstolistallthedocumentsremovedfromthedefendant’s
premises,theplaintiff’slawyersdidnotpreparesuchlistandproceededto
©CIPS,2007.
*OfLEGERROBICRICHARD
,L.L.P.,amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentand
trademarkagents.PublishedintheWinter2007issue(Vol.11,No.1)issueofourNewsletter.
Publication068.078E.
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copyalloftheelectronicfilesandputtheminasealedenvelope.Inthe
daysfollowingtheexecutionoftheAntonPillerOrder,theenvelopein
questionwasopenedandtheelectronicfilesbrieflyexaminedinthe
absenceofthedefendantanditscounsel.
TheSupremeCourtofCanadacriticizedplaintiff’slawyersfornotfully
complyingwiththeobligationsconcerningthelistingofseizedmaterials,but
italsonotedthat,forpracticalpurposes,itwasmoreefficienttocopythe
electronicdataandexamineitmorecloselyaftertheenforcementofthe
order.Inourview,thisalternativetolistingalloftheelectronicdataatthe
timeoftheenforcementshouldbeclearlysetoutintheAntonPillerOrder.
TheSupremeCourtfurtheradmonishedplaintiff’slawyersforopeningthe
sealedenvelopewithoutopposingcounselbeingpresent,especiallysince
therewasnourgencytoexaminethedocuments.Itwasdiscoveredthat
amongstthematerialsseized,therewerecommunicationsbetweenthe
defendantanditslawyers,andtowhichtheplaintiffwouldnototherwise
havehadaccesswereitnotfortheAntonPillerOrder.Thedefendanthad
noguaranteesthattheplaintiffhadnotused,andwouldnotuse,the
confidentialandprivilegedinformation.Allprivilegedandconfidential
informationinthepossessionoftheplaintiffwasthereforeorderedrestoredto
thedefendantandtheplaintiffwasorderedtodestroyallcopiesofsuch
information,includingtheelectronicsupportonwhichtheinformationhad
beenstoredorcopied.
TheSupremeCourtthereforereaffirmedthatitisaplaintiff’sburdentoshow
whatinformationithasobtainedfurthertoanAntonPillerOrderandwhat
safeguardmeasuresareinplacetoensurethattheinformationisnot
disseminatedormisusedtothedefendant’sdetriment
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