MONTREAL - The Quebec Court of Appeal has upheld a multi-million dollar judgment against the animation company Cinar.
Wednesday morning the justices agreed with a lower court that Cinar had indeed ripped off the concept, the character design, even the name for a cartoon from a local animator.
However the court reduced the amount of damages awarded to Claude Robinson, saying he was only owed $2.7 million instead of the $5.2 million he was awarded in 2009.
The case began two decades ago when Robinson developed a cartoon character called Robinson Curiosite, a sort of buffoon explorer.
He shopped the idea around to various production companies but nobody showed any interest.
Robinson thought that was the end of it until a few years later he turned on his television and saw the Cinar-produced show Robinson Sucroe, with a character that greatly resembled his design.
He launched a lawsuit that has lasted 16 years, and in the end may not make him much money at all.
Robinson's legal fees have been reported at more than $2 million, an amount that he raised though public contributions and by convincing a legal firm to defer their fees until after judgment.
