Following favourable decisions at the summary trial stage in the Federal Court (see 2022 FC 256) and on appeal to the Federal Court of Appeal (see 2023 CAF 92), Smart & Biggar also represented the Plaintiffs, Groupe TVA and Videotron, at the trial on the merits in this case involving the unauthorized retransmission by the defendants of TVA Sports (a French-speaking sports TV station) to hotels. The Plaintiffs were successful in securing a permanent injunction and statutory damages for copyright infringement against all corporate defendants and one individual. The parties’ respective ancillary claims for false or misleading statements were dismissed on both sides. This is yet another important victory for Groupe TVA and Videotron in their ongoing fight against piracy and copyright infringement.
