Warning to all Pirates : Check your Mailbox !

2015-07-23

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WARNINGTOALLPIRATES:CHECKYOURMAILBOX!

J
EAN-SÉBASTIENRODRIGUEZ-PAQUETTE*
ROBIC,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS

CanadianInternetuserswhoillegallydownloadcontentarenowevenmorelikelyto
getawarningnoticefromtheirInternetServiceProvider(ISP)

ThefinalprovisionsoftheCopyrightModernizationActcameintoforceinJanuary
2015,thusmakingofficialanalreadywidespreadvoluntarypractice:theso-called
“noticeandnotice”regime.
Inparticular,Sections41.25and41.26oftheCopyrightActnowrequireISPsto
forwardtheirusersnoticesofclaimedinfringementonbehalfofcopyrightowners
whoseworkshaveallegedlybeenpirated.Intheeventofanillegaldownloadofa
copyrightedwork,thecopyrightownermayalerttheISPoftheinfringementby
providingthemwiththeelectroniclocationdata(IPaddress)oftheallegedinfringer.
TheISPisthenrequiredtosendanoticetotheuser,informingthemthatcontenthas
beenillegallydownloadedtotheirIPaddressand,asthecasemaybe,advisingthem
toceaseanyactivitythatviolatestheCopyrightAct.

ISPsmustnowalsokeeprecordsthatallowtheidentificationofallegedinfringers,for
sixmonthsaftertheInternetusersreceivethenoticeofclaimedinfringement.Iflegal
proceedingsareinitiatedbythecopyrightowner,therecordsmustbekeptforone
year.
ItshouldbenotedthatSection41.26alsoappliestoonlinestorageservices,hosting
providersandsearchengines,allofwhichmustcomplywiththesamerequirements
asISPs.
TheNotice

ThenoticesentbyanISPmustidentifytheworkorothersubject-mattertowhichthe
allegedinfringementrelates.Itmustalsostatetheinterestsorrightsofthecopyright
ownerregardingtheinfringedwork,statetheIPaddressfromwhichthealleged
infringementoccurred,andspecifythedateandtimeoftheinfringement.

©CIPS,2015.*FromROBIC,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Publishedin
theWinter2015(Vol.18,no.3)Newsletterofthefirm.Publication068.185E.

ConsequencesofReceivingaNotice

Anallegedinfringerwhoreceivesanoticeofclaimedinfringementwillhavetheir
nameenteredinaregister,withoutanyothershort-termconsequences.Assuch,the
noticessentbyISPsarenotequivalenttoacease-and-desistletter,anddonotgrant
acopyrightownertherighttoclaimdamagesofanykind.Inordertoclaim
compensationfordamages,acopyrightownermustinitiatelegalproceedings.Inthe
past,similaractionshavealreadybeenundertakenagainstCanadianInternetusers
whoillegallydownloadedthemoviesTheHurtLocker
[http://newsletter.www.robic.ca/nouvelle.aspx?lg=EN&id=207]andDallasBuyersClub
[http://newsletter.www.robic.ca/nouvelle.aspx?lg=EN&id=284].

ItshouldbenotedinpassingthattheISPsthatrefusetocooperateandtransmit
noticesundertheCopyrightActwillbeliablefordamagesof$5,000to$10,000.

PrivacyRights

The“noticeandnotice”regimewasdesignedtorespectCanadianprivacylaws.Since
theonusisoncopyrightownerstoidentifycasesofinfringement,itisimpliedthat
ISPsdonotneedtomonitortheactivitiesoftheirusers.Furthermore,byrequiringthat
thenoticesbesentbytheISPs,thislegislationensuresthatInternetuserspreserve
theirrighttoanonymitywithrespecttocopyrightowners.Thelattermustthereforego
tocourttolearntheidentityofallegedinfringers.ThisisconsistentwiththeR.v.
SpencerdecisionrenderedbytheSupremeCourtin2014,inwhichthecourt
recognizedtheconstitutionalrighttoprivacywithrespecttoanonymityinthecontext
ofInternetuse.
NoRemovalofPiratedWorks

The“noticeandnotice”regimeistheCanadianresponsetoinfringementonthe
Internet.UnliketheU.S.“noticeandtakedown”approach,theCanadiansystemdoes
notrequireISPstoremoveallegedlyinfringingcontent,ordenyaccesstoit.

ImpactoftheNewProvisionsonCanadianInternetUsers

ForCanadianInternetusers,theimpactofSections41.25and41.26oftheCopyright
Actmaynotbesignificant,sincemostISPsarealreadycollaboratingwithcopyright
ownersonavoluntarybasis.Manyusershavealreadyreceivedsuchnoticesfrom
theirISPs.Ofcourse,thefactthatthispracticeisnowbasedinlawmaywellresultin
agreaternumberofnoticesreceivedbyusers.

Pourdesservicesdeconseilsdansledomainedelapropriété
intellectuelleetdestechnologiesdel’informationetdescommunications
(incluantlesservicesd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommerce)
demêmequedesservicesjuridiques.

ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesde
commercevouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriété
intellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèles
utilitaires;marquesdecommerce,marquesdecertificationetappellations
d’origine;droitsd’auteur,propriétélittéraireetartistique,droitsvoisinsetde
l’artisteinterprète;informatique,logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,
pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howet
concurrence;licences,franchisesettransfertsdetechnologies;commerce
électronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;marquage,publicitéet
étiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligenteetaudit.ROBIC,
agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892to
theprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,
industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksand
indicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,
neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;
biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-
how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnology
transfers;e-commerce,distributionandbusinesslaw;marketing,publicityand
labelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;duediligence.
®/MD

COPYRIGHTER
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ou«R»
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ouROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
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THETRADEMARKERGROUP
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TRADEMARKER
TM/MC

VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDE
LAPLANÈTE
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YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOUR
IDEASTOTHEWORLD
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MarquesdecommercedeROBIC,S.E.N.C.R.L.poursesservicesde
conseilsdansledomainedelapropriétéintellectuelleetdes
technologiesdel’informationetdescommunications(incluantles
servicesd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommerce)demême
quesesservicesjuridiques

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*
Forservicespertainingtointellectualproperty,technologyand
communicationlawandrelatedmatters(includingpatentandtrade-mark
agencyservices)aswellaslegalservices.

6
agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892to
theprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,
industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksand
indicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,
neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;
biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-
how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnology
transfers;e-commerce,distributionandbusinesslaw;marketing,publicityand
labelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;duediligence.
®/MD

COPYRIGHTER
TM/MC

IDEASLIVEHERE
®/MD

ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLUL’INVENTER!
®/MD

LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
®/MD

LEGERROBICRICHARD
®/MD

NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
®/MD

PATENTER
®/MD

orstylizedR
®/MD

ROBIC®/
MD

orstylizedROBIC++++
®/MD

orstylizedROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
®/MD

orstylizedROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
®/MD

THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TM/MC

TRADEMARKER
TM/MC

VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDE
LAPLANÈTE
®/MD

7
YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOUR
IDEASTOTHEWORLD®/MD

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