Heather Robertson, after more than a decade of court battles, has won a major victory on behalf of Canadian Writers. CTVglobemedia Inc., Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. and The Gale Group Inc. have agreed to pay $11 million to settle the Robertson v. Thomson class action lawsuit.

Heather has requested that the Writers' Union of Canada provide our members with the following important notice concerning the settlement approval hearing in the Robertson v. Thomson case.

NOTICE OF HEARING TO PROPOSE SETTLEMENT OF CLASS
PROCEEDING HEATHER ROBERTSON V. THOMSON AND OTHERS

If you are a writer, artist or photographer, wherever you reside, please read this notice carefully as it may affect your rights.

This is a court-approved notice to people who may be members of the Class in the above class proceeding. It provides information about an upcoming hearing before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on June 16, 2009, in Toronto, when the Court will be asked to consider and approve the proposed settlement of this class proceeding.

In 1996, Heather Robertson (the “Plaintiff”), a freelance writer, commenced an action against The Thomson Corporation (now, the Thomson Reuters Corporation), Thomson Canada Limited (now, Thomson Reuters Canada Limited), Thomson Affiliates and Information Access Company (now, The Gale Group, Inc.). In 2001, the action was amended to include Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. (now, CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.) as a defendant (collectively, the “Defendants”). In the action, the Plaintiff alleged that the Defendants infringed the copyrights of creators or assignees of original literary or artistic works published in print media in Canada (“Works”) by disseminating, or authorizing the dissemination of copies of the Works using electronic databases, contrary to the Canadian Copyright Act. The Plaintiff sought compensatory, punitive and exemplary damages, as well as injunctive relief, on behalf of the writers, artists and photographers who created the Works (“creators”), their estates and assigns. The Defendants denied the Plaintiff’s claims.

In 1999, the Superior Court of Justice certified this action as a class proceeding, on behalf of the creators of original literary and artistic Works, their estates or assigns, wherever they live. Excluded from the class proceeding were all Works where the creator gave written permission to make the Works available electronically, as well as all Works created by unionized employees of the Defendants whose collective agreement governed the use of employees’ Works in electronic media.

The Plaintiff and the Defendants have reached a tentative settlement (the “Proposed Settlement”). Under the terms of the Proposed Settlement, the Defendants will pay C$11million, inclusive of legal and settlement administration fees, to provide benefits to Class Members. The Proposed Settlement includes a compensation plan under which Class Members can file claims for compensation for freelance Works, an alternative take-down benefit for freelance Works that appeared in The Globe and Mail, as well as donations to the Professional Writers Association of Canada, The Writers’ Union of Canada and the Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators to the general benefit of all creators of written and artistic Works. The settlement includes a release of all claims, as well as a license in respect of all Works that are not taken down. Class Members will also be provided a further opportunity to opt out of the Proposed Settlement if it is approved by the Court. Further information about the Proposed Settlement, including information about class membership, and the terms of the Proposed Settlement, is available on the website listed below.

The parties will appear before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice at the Court House located at Osgoode Hall, 130 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario on June 16, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. to ask the Court to approve the Proposed Settlement. Class Members may attend the hearing before the Court and may ask the Court to make submissions regarding the Proposed Settlement. Any Class Members who wish to attend and object to the Proposed Settlement must first provide written notice of their objection to Class Counsel by June 8, 2009, describing the nature of the objection to the Proposed Settlement. Class Counsel will provide a copy of all written notices to Defendants’ counsel and the Court upon receipt.

If you are a Class Member and wish to obtain additional information about the Proposed Settlement or object to the Proposed Settlement, please contact Class Counsel, Koskie Minsky LLP, at the address below:

Koskie Minsky LLP, Barristers & Solicitors
20 Queen St. West, Suite 900,
Box 52, Toronto, ON, M5H 3R3
Re: Robertson v. Thomson et al. Class Action
Tel: 1.866.777.6323

In addition, information is available on Class Counsel’s website:
www.kmlaw.ca/robertsonvthomson

If you have no objection to the Proposed Settlement, you are not required to take any action.

If the Proposed Settlement is approved by the Court, and you do not opt out, you may be entitled to file a claim for compensation under the terms of the Settlement Agreement.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT OR THE REGISTRAR OF THE COURT ABOUT THIS CLASS PROCEEDING. THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.