VANCOUVER and CALGARY – Western cable giant Shaw Communications has shot back in the skirmish between it and tiny Novus Entertainment.
Shaw president Peter Bissonnette confirmed to Cartt.ca that his company has filed a defamation suit against the independent Vancouver-based distributor for “defaming us and for interfering with our relations with our customers”.
“As well, we’ve filed suit against their pseudo third party marketing group, which I think is called 3G and which I believe is really a group of their employees, who are essentially attending to a blog that provides misinterpreted information”, Bissonnette said. “It’s having a negative impact within that marketplace and we’ve done what you need to do in those kinds of situations”.
Novus’ co-president and chief legal officer Donna Robertson confirmed that her company is behind the website www.10buckstoo.com which she says was created to make customers aware of “Shaw’s aggressive marketing techniques” in the Vancouver multi dwelling unit (MDU) market.
“We’ve always taken responsibility for the site and haven’t hidden behind that”, Robertson told Cartt.ca. “The sole purpose of the site is for information. We thought it was important for people to understand these aggressive, low cost offers that Shaw is making, and their abuse of dominance, which is really at the heart of our complaint.”
Novus Entertainment recently filed legal proceedings with the BC Supreme Court and a complaint with the Competition Bureau over allegations of undercutting.
“This is a laser-targeted campaign against Novus”, Robertson continued. “We feel their suit has absolutely no merit. We really haven’t said anything more than any other blogger out there,” referring to other on-line posts and discussions about Shaw’s offers and marketing tactics.
Shaw has denied allegations that its offer is aimed at solely at Novus customers, telling Cartt.ca that it’s promotional offer is available to all multi dwelling units in Vancouver in an effort to increase business.
But Novus disagreed, saying that Shaw’s street teams have very specifically targeted Novus customers with a “blitzkrieg of offers”.
“Shaw sees us widening our footprint in the Metro Vancouver marketplace”, Robertson added, describing the company’s efforts to lay fibre optic along the Canada Line, a new rapid transit system linking downtown Vancouver to the region’s international airport in nearby Richmond. “We can now provide services in Burnaby, Richmond and all other areas along the transit system. Sure, Telus is here too but their TV business hasn’t gained much traction here. I think Shaw sees us as the most viable threat in this market.”
Bissonnette didn’t specifically address that allegation.
“I guess it’s just the on-going vagaries of competition, but we take it seriously, to the extent that if we have to go to the courts to have them cease and desist that kind of behaviour, then we will,” he added.
