Provincial Court awards statutory damages for Copyright infringement

P
R
OVINCIALCOURTAWARDSSTATUTORYDAMAGESFORCOPYRIGHTINFRINGEMENT.

LAURENTCARRIÈREANDCLAIRECÉBRON*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
L
AWYERS,ANDPATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS
PRECIS:ThePlaintiff,aprofessionalphotographer,suedtheDefendantforfailureto
payhimforphotographicservicesandfordamagesforallegedcopyright
infringement.TheProvincialCourtofAlbertaruledthatthePlaintiff’scopyrightinthe
photographshadbeeninfringed,andawardedhimstatutorydamages.
InDonHammondPhotographyLtd.v.TheConsignmentStudioInc.,(2008ABPC9,
2008-01-07)theProvincialCourtofAlbertaorderedthattheDefendantpayPlaintiff’s
accountforphotographicservices,andawardedstatutorydamagesforcopyright
infringement.
ThePlaintiffwasengagedbyacompanywhichhadbeenhiredbytheDefendantto
manageanadvertisingcampaignpromotingitslineofhouseholdfurniture.Plaintiff
wastophotographitemsoffurniturewiththeDefendant’sdogsposinginthe
pictures.WhenPlaintiffwasengaged,itwasagreedtoinwritingthathewouldbill
theDefendantdirectly.
Fivephotographsfeaturingthedogsonpiecesoffurnitureweretakenbythe
Plaintiff.
ThesephotographswerepublishedinlocalnewspapersasadsfortheDefendant’s
lineofhouseholdfurniture.TheDefendantfailedtopaytheaccountof$1,431,00
duetothePlaintiff.Consequently,thePlaintiffthreatenedtosuetheDefendantfor
breachofcopyright,buttheusecontinued.
AfterassessingthatthePlaintiff’sclaimwaswithinthejurisdictionoftheProvincial
CourtofAlberta,JusticeIngramproceededtotheanalysisofthesectionsofthe
CopyrightActwhichsetouttherulesastoownershipofaphotograph.
UndertheAct,aphotographisanartisticwork.Section10(2)oftheCopyrightAct
providesthattheowneroftheinitialnegativeofthephotographisdeemedtobethe



















































©CIPS,2008.*Lawyerandtrade-markagent,LaurentCarrière,isaseniorpartnerwithLEGERROBICRICHARD,
L.L.P.,
amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrademarkagents.ClaireCébronisan
articlingstudentwiththefirm.PublishedintheWorldCopyrightLawReport.Publication328.041.

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authorofthephotograph.However,inregardstoSection13(2),iftheorderofthe
originalphotographwasmadebysomeoneelse,forvaluableconsiderationwhich
waspaidinpursuanceofthatorder,thepersonwhoorderedtheoriginalshallbethe
ownerofthecopyrightinabsenceofanyagreementtothecontrary.
Inthiscase,alltherequirementstomakethedefendanttheownerofthecopyright
weremet,exceptforthepaymentoftheconsideration.Therefore,thePlaintiff
remainedtheownerofthecopyrightunderSection10(2)oftheAct.Having
reproducedthephotographswithoutpermission,theDefendanthadclearlyinfringed
thePlaintiff’srightsinthephotographs.
AfterestablishingtheownershipofthePlaintiff,andnotingtheabsenceofany
assignmentofthecopyright,theCourtsetouttoevaluatethedamages,andmore
specifically,statutorydamagesincaseofaninfringement.
Section34(1)oftheActprovidesthatinfringementgivesaPlaintiffarightofaction
fordamages.Here,insteadofelectingfordamagesactuallysufferedunderSection
35oftheAct(astherewasnoproofoflosssufferedduetotheinfringement,norof
profitsmadebytheDefendant),thePlaintiffelectedtorecoverstatutorydamages
underSection38.1oftheAct.Suchdamagesexistasawayforcopyrightownersto
enforcetheirrightsprovidedthatactualdamagesareoftenhardtoprove.
Inrespecttoeachinfringedwork,aninfringerisliableforasumofnotlessthan
$500ormorethan$20,000,tothediscretionoftheCourt.Someexceptionsapply,
notablywherethereismorethanoneworkandwheretheawardingoftheminimum
amountwouldresultinatotalawardgrosslyoutofproportiontotheinfringement.
JusticeIngramfoundthatsuchanexceptionappliedhere.
AfteranalysingthecriterialistedinSection38.1(5)inordertoassessthedamages,
andafternotingthatusebytheDefendantwouldprobablynothavedevaluedthe
copyrightinanyway,theCourtfoundthatinregardstothedamagedonetothe
Plaintiff,noaggravatingfactorswerepresent.Theonlyfinanciallosssufferedby
Plaintiffwastheunpaidaccountastherewasnoevidencetothefactthathewas
planningtousethesephotos.
TheCourtthereforedecidedtoawardtothePlaintiff,inadditiontotheunpaid
account,anamountof$500indamagesfortheinfringementofthefiveworks
altogether.UndertheAct,iftheDefendantweretocontinuereproducingtheworks,
additionaldamageswouldberecoverablebythePlaintiff.However,oncethe
accountpaid,thePlaintiffwouldnolongerbetheownerofthecopyrightandthe
Defendantwouldhavenofurtherliability.
TheCourtconcludedbycongratulatingthePlaintiffforhavingconductedtheentire
proceedingswithoutalawyerandforhavingelectedforstatutorydamages,awarded

3
himthecostsoftheaction,anddirectedthattheDefendantpaythesumof
$1,931.00withinterest.

4
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