The Law Society of Upper Canada maintained a custom photocopy service and self-service photocopiers in the Great Library.
Legal publishers sued for copyright infringement.
The Supreme Court of Canada held that while the publishers' headnotes, summaries, and compilations were 'original' works protected by copyright, the Law Society's custom photocopy service constituted fair dealing for the purpose of research.
The Court also held that providing self-service photocopiers with a warning notice did not amount to authorizing copyright infringement.