The Robinson et al. v. Cinar et al. trial was pleaded before the Honorable Claude Auclair of the Superior Court of Quebec. The trial attracted strong media attention as it opposed Claude Robinson, a publicist and author of "The Adventures of Robinson Curiosity", an educative TV series for children, and the author and producers of a cartoon series produced and broadcasted in the mid-90s entitled "Robinson Sucroe".
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin was representing the majority of the respondents, including France Animation and its president, Mr. Christian Davin, the creator of the cartoon "Robinson Sucroe", Mr. Christophe Izard, the production studios Cinar and its directors. Mr. Ronald Weinberg and late Micheline Charest, as well as the BBC Worldwide Television and Ravensburger Film & TV GmbH.
The trial raised classic issues of copyright law: (i) defining the work of the plaintiff; (ii) determining whether the respondents gained access to the plaintiff's work; (iii) determining whether the cartoon Robinson Sucroe represents a substantial reproduction of the plaintiff's series, as defined by the Copyright Act; (iv) determining if the cartoon Robinson Sucroe is the product of independent creation; (v) evaluate the quantum of damages.
The trial spread over a period of eight months, including the hearing of more than forty ordinary witnesses, the hearing of four expert witnesses, a rogatory commission being held in Paris in December 2008 to permit the hearing of the witnesses residing in France, and four weeks of pleadings.
The case is currently being appealed before the Court of Appeal of Québec. C.S.M. 500-05-021498-967, C.A.M. 500-09-020034-096