A high-profile Vancouver bookstore has won a partial victory in its long fight with the federal government over gay and lesbian erotica.

The Supreme Court of Canada has struck down part of the Canada Customs Act, in the case of Little Sisters Books and Art Emporium.

The majority of the judges agreed that the customs law is constitutional, but they struck down the section of the law that requires importers to prove that the material is not obscene.

The ruling means the onus is now on the government to prove that material seized by Canada Customs is obscene.

The court did find that customs agents did discriminate against Little Sisters, when it seized 262 books and other materials that other bookstores have been able to import successfully.