The plaintiffs sought to hold the defendants, Imran and Naeem Butt, in contempt of a prior judgment from Justice Pattillo dated August 1, 2018, which recognized and enforced a U.S. judgment prohibiting copyright and trademark infringement related to pirated television channels sold under the "ShavaTV" brand.
The defendants conceded some contempt but disputed its extent.
The court found the defendants in broad contempt, rejecting their claim that the business was transferred to a third party in Pakistan, Rizwan Ahmed Shams.
The court found the alleged transfer implausible due to lack of documentation, continued use of the defendants' PayPal accounts for business and personal expenses, and Mr. Shams' refusal to be cross-examined.
The court also confirmed jurisdiction over Naeem Butt, who resided in Germany, due to the real and substantial connection with Ontario, including sales to Ontario purchasers and use of a Canadian hosting company.