The editor of the Vancouver Province says it was a copyright issue that led to a video satirizing Enbridge Inc. being pulled from the media company's website, not a threat from the pipeline company.

Cartoonist Dan Murphy told CBC News Tuesday that the paper pulled his video remixing one of Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline ads after Enbridge threatened to stop doing business with the paper.

But Editor-in-Chief Wayne Moriarty said Wednesday it was the people who buy media space on behalf of clients that suggested the video might be a copyright infringement.

Moriarty said the Province has in the past defended its copyright from satirists and it would be hypocritical to fight against someone who had expressed a concern about their own material.

He said he was unaware of any threat to pull ads.

“There was no conversation from [Enbridge] referencing money at all, whatsoever,” Moriarty said.

He said Enbridge didn't even complain directly to the Province — it was Province publisher Kevin Bent who placed a call to Enbridge.

Moriarty stands by the removal of the video and said Murphy will not be sanctioned for speaking out on the issue.

Enbridge is spending nearly $5 million on what it calls a public outreach campaign to try to explain the benefits of its controversial proposed oil pipeline from Alberta to B.C.'s North Coast. Part of the money is spent on ads in the Postmedia newspaper chain, which owns the Vancouver Province.

Enbridge issued a statement Tuesday saying it, “did not request The Province or Post Media pull the video ... nor did Enbridge threaten to discontinue those [ads]."

With files from the CBC's Kirk Williams