Thursday, August 6th, 2009 ::: Law: Strategic Media Suit

An Ontario judge has ordered Strategic Media to pay $21,500 to cover the City of Toronto’s legal costs associated with Strategic’s unsuccessful motion to obtain an injunction preventing the City from removing their signs.

This is the judge’s decision [PDF]:

The City asked the court for $28,364.29; the judge lowered that to $21,500 because a portion of the City’s costs would be for work that could go towards defending Strategic’s ongoing lawsuit against the City (what the court calls “the cause”).

This is the City’s submission to the Court [PDF]:

This is Strategic’s submission [PDF]:

Strategic complains of “improper, vexatious and unnecessary conduct of the City…” and states that “throughout this proceeding, the City has repeatedly and without foundation accused Strategic of attempting to “flout” the City’s signs by-laws, while at the same time, had admitted at Strategic’s Application raises serious issued to be tried. As these inappropriate allegations have been prejudicial to Strategics’ business and reputation, they should serve to reduce the costs that are awarded to the City of its success on the interlocutory motion.”

In fact, what is improper, vexatious and unnecessary is the continued existence of Strategic Media Inc.