Québec’s Updated Civil Code Addresses IP and Related Rights

1994-01-01

QUÉBEC’SUPDATEDCIVILCODEADDRESSESIPANDRELATEDRIGHTS

LaurentCarrièreandBrahmG.Segal*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,Lawyers,
ROBIC,Patent&TrademarkAgents
CentreCDPCapital
1001Square-Victoria-BlocE–8
thFloor
Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7
Tel.(514)9876242-Fax(514)8457874
www.robic.ca-info@robic.com

DecadesofdebateintheprovinciallegislatureandinternallywithinQuébec’s
bifurcatedlegalprofession-lawyerscoexistwithnotaries,whoactincertain
non-contentiousmatters,includingthedraftingofsecurityagreements-have
culminatedintheenactmentoftheCivilCodeofQuébec[“theCode”],
which,cameintoforceonJanuary1,1994,replacingthepatchworkCivil
CodeofLowerCanada,originallyadoptedin1866andmuchamendedever
since,asQuébec’snewlawofgeneralapplicationgoverningproperty,
personsandtherelationbetweenthetwo.
Likeanyprovinceorterritory,Québeccouldnotintroducelegislation
purportingtocreatesubstantiveintellectualpropertyrightswithoutarrogating
toitselflegislativepowerswhichtheconstitutionhasattributedtothefederal
Parliament(i.e.patentsandcopyrights)orwhichhavebeenoccupied
historicallybyParliament(i.e.trademarks).Still,theCode,unlikeits
predecessors,specificallydefines”rightsofintellectualorindustrialproperty”
asaformofmoveablepropertyandacknowledgesthatsuchrightsmaybe
alienatedseparatelyfromtherevenuetheyproduce[Arts.458,909].
TheCodeadditionallyprovidesforthepossibilityofgrantingorreceivinga
securityinterestknownasaconventionalhypothec(assimilibletoachattel
mortgage)oncertainpropertyincluding”patentsandtrademarks”[Art.2684].
Itisnotclearwhycopyrightswereexcludedfromthelistofpropertythatmay
behypothecatedtosecureanobligation.Judicialinterpretationisalso
calledfortodeterminewhetherthewordpatentsinArt.2684includes
registeredindustrialdesignsandwhethertrademarksisrestrictedto
registered
,asopposedtocommonlaw,trademarks.Onitsface,Art.2684

*
LaurentCarrière,1994.
LawyerandtrademarkagentLaurentCarrièreisaseniorpartnerinthelawfirmLEGERROBIC
RICHARD,g.p.andinthepatentandtrademarkagencyfirmROBIC,g.p.;BrahmG.Segalisa
lawyerwiththesamefirms.PubliéenJuillet1994dansUpdate/RésumédelaSection
nationaledepropriétéintellectuelledel’AssociationduBarreaucanadien(vol.3,no2,pp.
10-12).Publication171.002.

doesnotextendtopendingapplicationsfortheissuanceofapatentorfor
theregistrationofatrademark.
Tradesecretsaretheobjectoftwonovelprovisionswhichpromisetoattract
muchattention.Art.1612expresslyallowstheownerofawrongfullydisclosed
tradesecrettoclaimdamagesrelatedtothecostofacquiring,perfecting
andusingthetradesecret,whilelostprofits”maybecompensatedfor
throughpaymentofroyalties”.However,pursuanttoArt.1472,thediscloser
maybeexoneratedfromliabilityfortheowner’seconomiclossuponproving
thatdisclosurefavored”considerationsofgeneralinterestand,
particularly…forreasonsofpublichealthorsafety”.Initsofficialcommentary
totheCode,theMinistryofJusticecitesashypotheticalexamplesofthe
successfulinvocationofArt.1472,disclosuresconcerningacureforcanceror
theAIDSvirus,oracorporatewhistle-blower’srevelationaboutthedangerous
effectsofaproductavailabletothepublic.
Alsoofnoteisthecodificationofpersonalityrights,whichareheldbyboth
individualsandbodiescorporate,areinalienable[Art.3];butsubjecttobeing
licensed;and,inthecaseofindividuals,maybetransmittedtotheirheirs[Art.
625]whomaysue,orcarryonapendingsuit,fordamagesresultingfroma
breachofpersonalityrights[Art.1610].Amongtheenumeratedactswhich
maybeconsideredanappropriationofpersonalityrightsistheuseofa
person’s”name,image,likenessorvoiceforapurposeotherthanthe
legitimateinformationofthepublic”[Art.36(5)].AndpursuanttoArt.56,a
personwhousesanameotherthanhisownisliableforanyresulting
confusionordamage.Art.56alsoenablesthespouseandcloserelativesofa
personwhosenameiswrongfullyusedtoobjecttosuchuseanddemand
redressforthedamagecaused.
Finally,licensorsoftrademarkrightsshouldnotethatunderArt.1880ofthe
Code,itwillnolongerbepossibletograntperpetuallicences:thenew
maximumtermis100years;anystipulationexceedingthattermwillbe
reducedto100years.
Theinterplaybetweenthesenewprovisionsandthepre-existingfederallaws
regardingsubstantiveintellectualpropertyrightsbearswatching.Surely
Québec’slegislativeinitiativewillalsofueldiscussioninotherprovincial
assembliesandtheIPbaratlarge.Eventually,wemightseeamovement
towardtheharmonizationoflawswithinthefederationthataffectpersonal
propertysecurityaswellasprivacyandpublicity(i.e.personality)rights.
*************
SectionsoftheCivilCodeofQuebecdealingspecificallywithintellectual
propertyarelistedhereinbelow.Oneshouldremember,however,thatthe

CCQ,asthejuscommune,coversalmosteveryfacetofthe”Propertyand
CivilRightsintheProvince”.Itfollowsthatitinteracts/intersectswiththeday-
to-dayoperationofthefederalso-called”I.P.”statutes”,i.e.theexerciseof
thoserightsofpropertyintheintangiblessuchasownership,assignment,
licenseorlegaldevolutionthereof.
Ontrouveraci-aprèsuneénumérationsommairedesarticlesduCodecivildu
Québectraitantnommémentdepropriétéintellectuelle.Ilesttoutefoisutile
derappellerqueleCCQ,àtitrededroitcommun,couvrepratiquementtous
lesaspectsdela«propriétéetdesdroitscivilsdanslaprovince»et,
conséquemment,estd’applicationconstantedansl’exploitationdes
intangibles.
3Incessibilitédesdroitsdelapersonnalité
Inalieabilityofpersonalityrights
35-37Respectdelaréputationetdelavieprivée
Respectofreputationandprivacy
55-56Utilisationdunometresponsabilitéencasdeconfusion
Useofnameandliabilityforconfusion
305-306Emploidenomsparlapersonnemorale
Useofnamesbythelegalperson
316-317Soulèvementduvoilecorporatif
Liftofthecorporateveil
321-324Obligationsetinhabiletédesadminsitrateurs
Obligationsanddisqualificationsofdirectors
458Propriétématrimonialedesdroitsdepropriétéintellectuelle
etdeleursrevenus
Matrimonialownershipofintellectualpropertyandtheir
revenues
625Transmissibilitéàcausedemortdesrecourspourviolation
desdroitsdelapersonalité
Transmissiontotheheirsoftherightsofactionforbreachof
personalityrights
909Propriétédesdroitsdepropriétéintellectuelleetdeleurs
revenus
Ownershipofintellectualpropertyandtheirrevenues

1309-1310Obligationsdel’administrateurdubiend’autrui
Obligationsofadministrator
1457-1458Conditionsdelaresponsabilité
Conditionsofliability
1472Divulgationpermisedesecretscommerciaux
Disclosureoftradesecretsexemptedofliability
1610Transmissibilitéauxhéritiersdudroitàdesdommages
résulatantdelaviolationdesdroitsdelapersonnalité
Transmissibilitytotheheirsoftherightstodamagesresulting
fromthebreachofpersonalityrights
1612Responabilitéetdommagespourviolationdesecrets
commerciaux
Liabilityanddamagesforbreachoftradesecrets
2088Obligationdeloyautédusalarié
Obligationofloyaltyofemployees
2089&2095Clausesdenon-concurrence
Non-competitionclause
2684Hypothèquemobilièredesbrevetsetmarquesdecommerce
Moveablehypothecofpatentsandtrademarks
2837-2840Recevabilitéenpreuvededonnéesetdossiersinformatiques
Admissibilityinevidenceofcomputerdataandrecords
2925Prescriptiongénéraledetroisanspouratteinteàundroit
personnel
Generalthreeyearsprescriptiontoenforceapersonalright
2929Prescriptiond’unanpourdiffamation
Oneyearprescriptioninactionfordefamation
3135Introductiondelarègleduforumnonconveniens
Acceptanceoftheruleofforumnonconveniens

ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommercevoué
depuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriétéintellectuelledanstousles
domaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèlesutilitaires;marquesdecommerce,marques
decertificationetappellationsd’origine;droitsd’auteur,propriétélittéraireetartistique,droits
voisinsetdel’artisteinterprète;informatique,logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,
pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howet
concurrence;licences,franchisesettransfertsdetechnologies;commerceélectronique,
distributionetdroitdesaffaires;marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,litigeet
arbitrage;vérificationdiligenteetaudit;etce,tantauCanadaqu’ailleursdanslemonde.La
maîtrisedesintangibles.
ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892tothe
protectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,industrialdesigns
andutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksandindicationsoforigin;copyrightand
entertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;computer,softwareand
integratedcircuits;biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,
know-how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-
commerce,distributionandbusinesslaw;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecution
litigationandarbitration;duediligence;inCanadaandthroughouttheworld.Ideaslive
here.
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