Food Designations and Trade-Marks the Quebec Act Respecting Reserved Designations

1
FOODDESIGNATIONSANDTRADE-MARKS
THEQUEBECACTRESPECTINGRESERVEDDESIGNATIONS

LaurentCarrière*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,L.L.P.
Lawyers,PatentandTrademarkAgents
CentreCDPCapital
1001Square-Victoria–BlocE–8thFloor
Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7
Tel.(514)9876242–Fax(514)8457874
www.robic.ca–info@robic.com

TheQuebecActrespectingReservedDesignations(S.Q.1996,c.51)received
assentonDecember16,1996butonlycameintoforceonOctober15,1997with
itsrelatedRegulation.
TheobjectofthisActistherecognitionofdesignationswhichareattributedto
agriculturalandfoodproductsasanattestationoftheirmethodofproduction,
regionoforiginorspecificity.
ItconfersupontheMinisterofAgriculture,FisheriesandFoodthepowerto
recognizedesignationsifitisdemonstratedthatthedesignationsmeetthe
criteriaandrequirementsdeterminedbyregulation,andtoreservetheuse
thereofinQuebectothemembersoftheaccreditatedcertificationbodies
(basically,thoserespectingISO39,61and65).
Onceadesignationhasbeenreserved,nopersonmayuseitintheadvertising,
labellingordisplayofanyproduct,orincommercialdocumentsofanynature
relatingthereto,unlesstheproducthasbeencertifiedbyanaccreditated
certificationbody.StringentpenalprovisionsaresetforthintheAct.
Assuch,thisprovinciallawwouldappearsimple;however,realproblemsare
foreseeableinitsapplicationinview,forinstance,ofsomeoftheprovisionsof
theTrade-marksActwhichisoffederaljurisdiction.
Indeed,nothingpreventsanonaccreditatedbodyfromregistering,asa
trade-mark,awordthatwillincludepartofthereserveddesignation(orbe
confusinglysimilarwithsame).However,undersection19oftheTrade-marksAct,
theregistrationofatrade-markgivesitsownertheexclusiverighttotheuseof
thetrade-markthroughoutCanada,whichincludestheprovinceofQuebec.

©CIPS,1998.
*OfLEGERROBICRICHARD
,L.L.P.,amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrademark
agents.PublishedintheSpring1998issue(Vol.2,No.2)ofourNewsletter.Publication068.012E.

2
WouldtherecognitionofareserveddesignationundertheQuebecActimpinge
upontherighttouseaconflictingtrade-markinQuebec(whetherregistered
beforeoraftertherecognitionofadesignation),evenifthefoodproductdoes
otherwiserespecttherelevantprovincialandfederallegislationinregardof
production,healthandlabelling?
Furthermore,section25oftheTrade-marksActprovidesthatacertificationmark
whichisdescriptiveoftheplaceoforiginofthegoodscanneverthelessbe
registeredbyarepresentativeofacommercialorganizationofthearea.Insuch
acase,everypersonofthisareaisentitledtousethecertificationmark,whether
certifiedornot.Itisthereforedoubtfulthattheaccreditationboardswouldrush
toobtainsuchfederalprotectionwhichcouldotherwiseerodetheprovincial
exclusivity!
Theinteractionoftheprovincialreserveddesignationswiththefederal
Trade-marksActaswellastheotherprovisionsdealingwithfreeinterprovincial
commerceistobecloselymonitored,asinterestingclashesareexpected.

3
ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommercevouédepuis
1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriétéintellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:
brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèlesutilitaires;marquesdecommerce,marquesdecertification
etappellationsd’origine;droitsd’auteur,propriétélittéraireetartistique,droitsvoisinsetdel’artiste
interprète;informatique,logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,pharmaceutiqueset
obtentionsvégétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howetconcurrence;licences,franchiseset
transfertsdetechnologies;commerceélectronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;marquage,
publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligenteetaudit;etce,tantau
Canadaqu’ailleursdanslemonde.Lamaîtrisedesintangibles.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandof
patentandtrademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofall
fieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,
certificationmarksandindicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsand
performers,neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,
pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-how,competitionandanti-trust;
licensing,franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-commerce,distributionandbusinesslaw;
marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;duediligence;in
Canadaandthroughouttheworld.Ideaslivehere.
COPYRIGHTER
IDEASLIVEHERE
ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLUL’INVENTER!
LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
LEGERROBICRICHARD
NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
PATENTER
R
ROBIC
ROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
ROBIC++++
ROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TRADEMARKER
VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDELAPLANÈTE
YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOURIDEASTOTHEWORLD