Remember the story about the website, Afterlife, that described itself as the “biggest Canada obituary listing” and was publishing obituaries without people’s permission? The website had been selling floral arrangements and virtual memorial candles on each obituary page.
A judge in Ottawa ordered Afterlife Network Inc. — run by Pascal Leclerc — to pay $20 million in damages to grieving families, and an injunction against the website to prevent it from operating in the future.
In her April 30 ruling, Justice Catherine Kane said the site had infringed on copyrights by lifting the obituaries and photos of the deceased from other websites.
The lawsuit was filed in Federal Court in Ottawa by Newfoundland lawyer Erin Best on behalf of client Dawn Thomson, who had been shocked to find her father’s obituary on the website.
Since at least late 2017, Afterlife had been modifying and publishing obituaries without people’s permission.
In July 2018, after shutting down Afterlife, Mr. Leclerc created a similar site, called Everhere.
Justice Kane requested the injunction should name Mr. Leclerc personally, so he cannot continue posting obituaries on Everhere.
The Canadian Press report on the ruling was carried by news media across the country.
