Consumer products and public safety

2010-01-01

CONSUMERPRODUCTSANDPUBLICSAFETY

J
ASONMOSCOVICI*
ROBIC,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKSAGENTS

Re-introducedasBillC-6,thenewlyrevisedCanadaConsumerProductSafetyAct
willregulateapreviouslyunregulatedclassofproducts.TheActwillinstatea
governmentmanagedsurveillancesystemthatimposesadutytoinformandaduty
toactupontothekeyplayersinvolvedinthemanufacturingandsaleofconsumer
products.
Inlightofmountingproductsafetyconcernsandincontinuingitsobjectiveof
protectingpublichealth,theParliamentofCanadahasdecidedonceagaintogothe
regulatoryroutewithregardstoconsumerproducts;thehopebeingthatwithawider
net,theywillcatchmorefish.
WhilethelegislationitselfhasnotbeengrantedRoyalassentduetolastminute
amendmentsintroducedattheSenatelevel,itisstillimportanttounderstandwhat
maybecomingdownthepipelineforConsumerProductstakeholders.

Scope
Theproposedlegislationtargetsconsumerproducts(definedasproducts,including
their”components,partsoraccessoriesthatcanreasonablybeexpectedtobe
obtainedbyanindividualtobeusedfornon-commercialpurposes,includingfor
domestic,recreationalandsportspurposes,andincludetheirpackaging”)andis
aimedprimarilyatthosewhosellconsumer-basedproductsinCanada.

WhoWillBeAffected
Consumerproductsbeingdefinedbroadly,anythingthatcan”reasonablybe
expectedtobeobtainedbyanindividualtobeusedfornon-commercialpurposes”
wouldbeconsideredaconsumerproduct.Itistrickytoexplicitlylistallofthose
productswhichcanbeaffectedbythisnewlegislation,sincethelinebetweenselling
aconsumerproductandanon-consumerproductisbecomingmoreandmore
blurred;traditionallycommercialproductsarestartingtopopulatethehomesof
consumers.Furthermore,sincecomponentsarealsothetargetofBillC-6,

©CIPS,2010.*WithROBIC,LLPamultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Published
intheWinter2009Newsletterofthefirm(Vol.13,No.4).Publication068.117E.

2
manufacturerswhosepartsfindthemselvesinconsumerproductscanalsobe
subjecttothisnewlegislation.
Also,throughitsbroaddefinitionof”sell”(monetaryexchangeisnotapre-requisite
asdistributioncanoccurwithoutconsideration),theBilltargetsanyoneinvolvedin
theproductsupplychain.
HowWillTheyBeAffected
Insummary,theAct:
·Prohibitsthesaleofcertainproductsandenforcescertainmandatorytesting
andevaluationstandardsforothers;
·Instatesareportingsystemmakingitobligatoryforsellersofconsumer
productstoreportanyincidentlinkedwiththeuseoftheirproduct,including
defectsandmisuses;
·Establishesasystemfortheinspectionandseizureofnon-compliant
consumerproducts;
·Obligessellerstoreportrecallsandempowersthegovernmenttoorder
recalls;
·Empowersinspectorstoenterapremisestoorderseizures,recallsandany
otheractivitiesdeemednecessary;
·CreatespenaltiesforbothviolationsandoffencesundertheAct.Directors,
officersandmanagerscanbehelddirectlyliablefortheactionsofthelegal
entitythattheyrepresent.

Conclusion
Inshort,itisstillearlytodeterminetheimpactthatBillC-6,ifapproved,willhaveon
theindustryandthepublic.Ononehand,thisnewrevisionmaintainstheimposition
ofastrictdocumentation,reportingandauditingsystem.Ontheotherhand,theAct
rendersexplicitvariousgeneralprinciplesthatarealreadywellrecognizedbycertain
industrystandardassociationsliketheCSAandtheISO.Aswell,therecent
amendmentsseemtoweakenthepowersgiventoInspectorsandtotheMinister
withrespecttoinspectionsandinformationsharing.

Wewillcontinuetomonitorandreportfurtherdevelopmentsregardingtherecently
amendedCanadaConsumerProductSafetyActinfuturenewsletters.Formore
informationonthecurrentBill,pleasedonothesitatetocontactus.

ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommerce
vouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriétéintellectuelledans

3
touslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèlesutilitaires;marquesde
commerce,marquesdecertificationetappellationsd’origine;droitsd’auteur,
propriétélittéraireetartistique,droitsvoisinsetdel’artisteinterprète;informatique,
logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,pharmaceutiquesetobtentions
végétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howetconcurrence;licences,franchiseset
transfertsdetechnologies;commerceélectronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;
marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligente
etaudit.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicated
since1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:
patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksand
indicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,
neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,
pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-how,competitionandanti-
trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-commerce,distributionand
businesslaw;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;
duediligence.
COPYRIGHTER
IDEASLIVEHERE
ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLUL’INVENTER!
LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
LEGERROBICRICHARD
NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
PATENTER
R
ROBIC
ROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
ROBIC++++
ROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TRADEMARKER
VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDELA
PLANÈTE
YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOUR
IDEASTOTHEWORLD
Trade-marksofROBIC,
LLP(“ROBIC”)