ROBIC has represented Canmec Industrial Inc. (“Canmec”) in a significant copyright dispute before the Federal Court of Canada, the firm announced on 13 October 2026. In a judgment rendered on 2 October 2026, the Federal Court dismissed the vast majority of the claims brought by GE Renewable Energy Canada Inc. (GEREC).
GEREC alleged that Canmec had infringed its copyright in technical drawings relating to butterfly valves and their components. According to the firm, these valves were intended for use at the Isle-Maligne hydroelectric generating station, operated by Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. The Court held that section 64.1 of the Copyright Act barred GEREC’s claims relating to the butterfly valves and their components, as well as the associated 3D digital design files and 2D technical drawings.
Chambers and Co. since 2004.
The ROBIC team representing Canmec included Joanne Chriqui, Fortunat Nadima and Cara Parisien. The judgment (T-1471-21) is available on the Federal Court of Canada’s website.
For detailed information, as well as the picture copyright, please see the law firm’s original article here: https://www.robic.ca/en/2026/10/robic-secures-a-significant-victory-for-canmec-before-the-federal-court-in-a-complex-copyright-dispute/
