Gerald Leitch Kerr-Wilson

The appeal addressed whether a federal regulator had statutory authority to implement a market-based regime requiring negotiations over compensation for retransmission of local television signals.

The majority held the proposed regime exceeded statutory authority and conflicted with the copyright scheme governing retransmission rights and exceptions.

The dissent would have found a sufficient statutory basis and no operational conflict between the two statutes.

The appeal was allowed, with costs throughout.

The appeal concerned whether online music previews streamed before purchase are fair dealing for the purpose of research under the Copyright Act.

The Court held that research must be interpreted broadly and assessed from the user perspective, not only from the service provider perspective.

Applying the CCH framework, the Court found the previews fair in purpose, character, amount, alternatives, nature of the work, and market effect.

Because the previews were short, lower quality, temporary, and supported consumer selection without substituting for purchases, no additional royalties were payable for them.

In a copyright appeal, the Court considered whether pre-existing sound recordings embedded in film and television soundtracks remain subject to equitable remuneration under s. 19 of the Copyright Act when the soundtrack accompanies a cinematographic work.

Applying modern statutory interpretation, the Court held that the soundtrack exclusion in the definition of sound recording captures pre-existing recordings in that context.

The Court found this reading consistent with the legislative scheme, parliamentary intent, and international obligations under the Rome Convention.

As a result, the proposed tariffs could not be certified for performances or communications of recordings when accompanying cinematographic works.