Claude Robinson leaves the Montreal courtroom Wednesday morning after his 14-year legal battle against Cinar.Claude Robinson leaves the Montreal courtroom Wednesday morning after his 14-year legal battle against Cinar. (CBC)

A Montreal cartoonist who spent more than a decade fighting a major production company over plagiarism has finally won his battle in court.

Children's entertainment production company Cinar, which was sold in 2004 and relaunched as Cookie Jar, has been ordered to pay $5.2 million in damages to Claude Robinson for using his cartoon series, Les aventures de Robinson Curiosité, as the basis for its series Robinson Sucroé.

The settlement includes:

  • $607,000 for copyright infringement.
  • $1.7 million for profits earned by Cinar and other broadcasting companies.
  • $400,000 for psychological distress.
  • $1 million in exemplary damages.
  • $1.5 million for legal fees.

Quebec Superior Court awarded the damages Wednesday morning in Montreal.

The ruling names Cinar founder Ronald Weinberg and affiliates that broadcast the program, including France Animation, BBC Worldwide (Television), Ravensburger (RTV), McRaw Holding and several individuals linked to those companies.

Robinson launched his legal action more than 14 years ago.

He had presented his work to producers at Cinar, who turned down his pitch. Sometime later, he saw Cinar's Robinson Sucroé series and found what he called extraordinary similarities with his own pitch.

On Wednesday, Robinson said he felt as if his series had finally been returned to him.