Decision to come, at last, in Robertson suit against Globe

Word is that on Thursday morning, at long last, the decision will be handed down at the Supreme Court of Canada in the case of Heather Robertson et al v. Thomson Corporation. (Thanks to the PWAC site for alerting us to this.) A useful summary of the case is available from the Supreme Court website.

Robertson's suit was turned into a class action, and so represents the interests of any and all contributors like her.

Though it has dragged on for years, having first been launched in 1996, this is an extremely important case because it may help define creators' rights for a long time to come. Essentially, freelance writer Heather Robertson sued the Globe and Mail for appropriating some of her work by posting it on three electronic databases without permission or compensation. The Globe argued that it acted properly and within the meaning of the contracts it had with Robertson.

The decision will be handed down at 9:45 a.m. on Thursday.