CANADIAN COPYRIGHT CLASS ACTION ON BEHALF OF FREELANCE WRITERS HAS BEEN TENTATIVELY SETTLED FOR $5.475 MILLION

PLAINTIFFS' COUNSEL IN ROBERTSON V. PROQUEST, CEDROM, TORONTO STAR NEWSPAPERS, ROGERS AND CANWEST

TORONTO, Jan. 17 /CNW/ - There has been a tentative settlement reached in a copyright class action involving freelance writers who wrote for Canadian publications.

The case involved allegations that the defendants infringed the copyright of freelance writers who wrote articles and other literary works that were published in Canada by Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd., Rogers Publishing Limited or Canwest Publishing Inc. It was alleged that the defendants disseminated these literary works in online databases without permission. The defendants in the action are Toronto Star, Rogers, CEDROM-SNi Inc. and ProQuest Information and Learning LLC. Canwest was a defendant, but the action was dismissed against it in June 2010. A separate settlement was reached with Canwest and was approved on June 16, 2010 by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

The class action generally applies to freelancer writers who did not formally assign the copyright in their articles or literary works and who did not enter into written agreements that permitted the electronic publishing of their works.

"We are pleased a settlement has been reached," said Kirk Baert, one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs. "This settlement allows for significant payments to class members in a cost-effective and speedy manner."

There will be a hearing before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on April 11, 2011 in Toronto for the court to consider whether to approve the settlement, including the payment of $5.475 million in settlement funds.

The freelance writers are represented by Heather Robertson, a freelance author, and by Koskie Minsky LLP, a leading Canadian class action law firm.

For further information:

Koskie Minsky LLP at 1-866-777-6323 or [e-mail]