MONTREAL — In less than one month, Quebec’s artistic community has raised $400,000 to help animator Claude Robinson continue his 15-year legal battle in appeal court against the children’s producer formerly known as Cinar Corp.

Over 8,500 people have responded to the online fundraising campaign launched in April by Robinson`s friends to help him pay the bills.

Cinar is appealing a decision in Quebec Superior Court, which last year agreed that Robinson’s 1982 creation Robinson Curiosité was plagiarized by the company to make the program Robinson Sucroé. Robinson was awarded $5.2 million, though he has not yet seen any of the money.

The battle-worn animator will instead be back in court in September 2011.