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To: Jim Bishop who wrote (127425)	1/28/2004 8:54:29 PM
From: Rocket Red	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 150070

Telus cries fowl over TWU animal ads Telus Corp (2) T Shares issued 190,596,061 Jan 27 2004 close $ 26.11 Wednesday January 28 2004 Street Wire by Stockwatch Business Reporter Telus Corp. is crying copyright infringement in an attempt to pull the plug on three anti-Telus advertisements created by its own Telecommunications Workers' Union (TWU). Telus claims the ads, featuring cute little pigs and other animals bad-mouthing the telecommunications giant and its service, infringe on the company's copyright and harm the company's image. The high-minded company, seemingly more concerned with copyright than ridicule, will be in court on Jan. 29, 2004, seeking an injunction to prevent from being broadcast or published any ads that feature what Telus considers to be its copyrighted works, as well as damages for the ads already shown. As for the lawsuit itself, which was filed on Jan. 27, 2004, it claims that the TWU's ads parody Telus's copyrighted animal ad campaign. An injunction, Telus reassures in its outline, would not stifle the TWU's ability to express its opinions about Telus. As well, Telus claims, any "reasonable person seeing the TWU Ads would know immediately they are a blatant take-off on TELUS' very successful advertising campaign. There is nothing subtle in what the TWU has done." Telus's animal ads, in use since it acquired Clearnet in 2001, feature an ever-changing assortment of animals carousing on a white background while cheerful music plays. At the end of the ad, the Telus logo and message appears. The TWU ads, introduced at a TWU press conference on Jan. 19, 2004, and available on the union's Web site (http://www.twu-canada.ca), are similar to the Telus ads, the company claims. The three TWU ads each feature a different type of animal: a piglet, a parrot and a dalmatian. After the animal appears, a voiceover says: "Telus likes to use animals to sell its services. What if the animals could tell us the truth?" The animals then proceed to tell the truth, at least as the TWU sees it. The anthropomorphized piglet squeaks, "Telus customers are getting the shaft," while in the parrot ad, the bird squawks, "Telus customers are getting plucked." Telus executives do not fare well in the ads, as a dark-suited man, presumably the union's representation of a Telus executive, attempts to silence the rude animal. While profoundly negative statements against Telus by its union are nothing new, the company cries foul over the TWU's attempt to link, for example, the unfriendly union pig with the company's Future Friendly corporate pig. While Telus and the TWU are in collective bargaining, the lawsuit states, the TWU may legally criticize Telus in any way it wants; however, the animal ads are just going too far; they break copyright and are not legal. The allegations made in the statement of claim have not yet been addressed or proven before the courts, and no statement of defence has yet been filed. STRIKE VOTE The Telus lawsuit does not directly draw the connection between the introduction of the TWU ads and the continuing strike vote at the TWU, although the union has been holding its traveling strike vote meetings for the past few weeks. The union has scheduled a press conference for Jan. 29 to announce the result of the strike vote. If the union votes in favour, a strike could begin as early as next Tuesday. The 10,000-member union has been without a contract since Dec. 31, 2000. The animals have no vote. (c) Copyright 2004 Canjex Publishing Ltd. stockwatch.com old url (better for printing)