Copyright enforcement is no game, as the owner of T&T Copy Centre, a popular U of T photocopying centre, has learned the hard way.
Duc Ting Nguyen has been sentenced to six months in jail after police found illegal course packages being produced at his business. He was found in contempt of court on January 13 after years of surveillance and prior legal actions taken against him. He pleaded guilty to the judgement.
Nguyen’s T&T Copy Centre is located at the corner of Bloor and St. George Streets. Its proximity to the university and the availability of “bootleg course booklets” have made it a go-to place for U of T students’ photocopying needs.
THOMAS WALLENIUS/THE VARSITY
Initially charged in 2008 and ordered to stop making course packages, Nguyen continued up until January 2012 when he was caught again.
Savitha Thampi, associate legal counsel for plaintiff Access Copyright, stated that Nguyen was ordered to pay $132,000 in statutory damages in 2008.
“After a series of court orders, settlements, seizures, and inspections, Access Copyright brought a motion to the Federal Court for an order to find Mr. Nguyen in contempt of the 2008 Federal Court judgement,” Thampi said.
Access Copyright conducted its own investigations in the community, and found that T&T Copy Centre had violated the prior Federal Court judgement.
Dave Spiros, the owner of neighbouring Willow Books, was not surprised by Nguyen’s problems.
Spiros did not want to get into details about the actual seizure of material, but he said that he saw it coming.
“This happens on a regular basis, and his store has been closed for periods of time before,” he said.
Despite the copying centre’s closure, students continue to go to the shop on a regular basis. Employees from Willow Books have had to redirect them to other copy stores located on Bloor Street.
