Recent Amendments to Quebec’s Legislation and Regulations on Language and their Effects on Use of Trade-Marks
RECENTAMENDMENTSTOQUEBEC’SLEGISLATIONANDREGULATIONON
LANGUAGEANDTHEIREFFECTSONUSEOFTRADE-MARS
by
HuguesG.Richard*
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
TheCharteroftheFrenchLanguage(R.S.Q.,c.C-11),hereafterreferredtoas
theCharter,oftenstillcalledBill101,cameintoforcein1977.TheGovernment
ofQuebecenactedtheCharterwiththeobjectiveofprotectingtheFrench
languageandallthatitrepresentedfortheFrenchspeakingresidentsofthe
provincewhoareaminorityofapproximately6millionpeopleamidstthemuch
largerpopulationofEnglishandSpanishspeakinginhabitantsofNorthAmerica.
TheCharterwasgivenawiderangingscope.AsidefromstatingthatFrenchis
theofficiallanguageofQuebec,theCharteralsodealswiththeissueof
languageasitrelatestothelegislature,thecourts,civiladministration,semi-
publicagencies,labourrelations,education,commerceandbusiness.
Itisunderthislastchapterdedicatedtocommerceandbusinessthatonefinds
specificreferencestotrade-marks.TheCharterregulatesthelanguageof
trade-marksintwocontexts:whentheyappearasinscriptionsonproductsand
whentheyareusedinadvertising.
Trade-marksasInscriptionsonProducts
Section51oftheChartersetsoutthegeneralprinciplesinmattersrelatedtothe
inscriptionswhichappearonproductsorrelateditems.Section51readsas
follows:
“51.Everyinscriptiononaproduct,onitscontaineroronits
wrapping,oronaleaflet,brochureorcardsuppliedwithit,
includingthedirectionsforuseandwarrantycertificates,mustbe
draftedinFrench.Thisruleappliesalsotomenusandwinelists.
©LEGERROBICRICHARD,1994-2003.*OfthelawfirmLEGERROBICRICHARD,g.p.andofthepatent&trademarkagencyfirm
ROBIC,g.p.
TheFrenchinscriptionmaybeaccompaniedwithatranslationor
translations,butnoinscriptioninanotherlanguagemaybegiven
greaterprominencethanthatinFrench”.
Section53oftheCharterprovidesthattheGovernmentmayadoptregulations
creatingexceptionstotheapplicationofsection51.Aregulation(R.R.Q.,c.C-
11,r.9.01)tothateffectwasadoptedandbecameeffectiveonDecember22,
1993.Amongstthenumerousexceptionsprovidedbysections1to9ofthe
regulation,sections3and7arenoteworthy,theyrespectivelyreadasfollows:
“3.Aninscriptiononaproductmaybeexclusivelyinalanguage
otherthanFrenchinthefollowingcases:
1)theproductisintendedforamarketoutsideQuebec;
2)theinscriptionappearsonacontainerusedin
interprovincialorinternationaltransportationofmerchandise;
3)theproductisfromoutsideQuebec,hasnotyetbeen
marketedinQuebecandisbeingexhibitedataconvention,
conferenceorexhibition;
4)theproductisfromoutsideQuebec,isintendedfor
incorporationintoafinishedproductorforuseina
manufacturing,processingorrepairoperationandisnot
offeredinQuebecforretailsale;
5)theproductisfromoutsideQuebecandisinlimitedusein
QuebecandnoequivalentsubstitutepresentedinFrenchis
availableinQuebec;or
6)theproductisfromoutsideQuebecandtheinscriptionis
engraved,bakedorinlaidintheproductitself,rivetedor
weldedtoitorembossedonit,inapermanentmanner.
However,inscriptionsconcerningsafetymustbewrittenin
Frenchandappearontheproductoraccompanyitina
permanentmanner.
7)thefollowinginscriptionsonaproductmaybeexclusively
inalanguageotherthenFrench:
1)thefirmnameofafirmestablishedexclusively
outsideQuebec;
2)anameoforigin,thedenominationofanexotic
productorforeignspeciality,aheraldicmottoorany
othernon-commercialmotto;
3)aplacenamedesignatingaplacesituatedoutside
Quebecoraplacenameinsuchotherlanguageas
officializedbytheCommissiondetoponymiedu
Québec,afamilyname,agivennameorthenameof
apersonalityorcharacteroradistinctivenameofa
culturalnature;and
4)arecognizedtrade-markwithinthemeaningofthe
Trade-MarksAct(R.S.C.(1985),c.T-13),unlessaFrench
versionhasbeenregistered”.
Accordingtotheregulationasitexistspresently,iftheFrenchversionofatrade
mark,otherwiserecognizedbytheTrade-MarksAct,hasbeenregistered,then
thesaidtrade-markcanonlyappearontheproductinalanguageotherthan
FrenchifitisaccompaniedbytheFrenchversionhavingnolessthanequal
prominence.SinceDecember22,1993,theexclusiveuseofatrade-markina
languageotherthanFrenchisallowedprovidedthatnoFrenchversionofthe
trade-markhasbeenregistered.
TheoriginalversionoftheRegulation(section16)wasmorerestrictiveforitonly
permittedtheexclusiveuseofatrademarkinalanguageotherthanFrenchif
thetrademark,priortoAugust26,1993,constitutedarecognizedtrade-mark
withinthemeaningoftheTrade-MarksAct.Thiseffectivelyprohibitedtheuseof
newtrade-marksexclusivelyinlanguagesotherthanFrenchwhileallowingfor
suchusetocontinueinregardstoexistingtrade-marks.
ThedesiredeffectoftheamendmenttotheRegulationappearstohavebeen
toforceallregistrantstomakeuseoftheFrenchversionsoftheirtrademarksif
theyhavejudgedsuchversionstobeworthyofregistration.Theadvantageof
therecentlyamendedRegulationisthechoiceitprovidesastothelanguageof
newtrade-marks.OnecanavoidhavingtoadoptaFrenchversionofanew
trade-markbysimplynotregisteringthetrade-markinFrench.Allregistrants
whoproceededtoregistertheirnewtrade-marksinFrenchsince1977,inorder
toconformwithwhatwassection16oftheRegulation,haveineffectlostthe
optionofmakinguseoftheirtrade-markssolelyinalanguageotherthan
French.
TherecentchangestotheCharteranditsregulationsweremadewithinthe
largerframeworkofliberalizingthestatuteasawhole.
Trade-markUsedinAdvertising
Thelanguageoftrade-markswithinthecontextofadvertisingisregulatedby
theCharterundersection58.
“58.Publicsignsandpostersandcommercial
advertisingmustbeinFrench.Theymayalsobein
bothFrenchandanotherlanguageprovidedthat
Frenchismarkedlypredominant”.
(…)
Whilesection58statesthegeneralruleasbeingthatFrenchmust,atthevery
least,bethepredominantlanguagewhenitcomestopublicsigns,postersand
commercialadvertising,section25(4)oftheRegulationprovidesanexception
astotrademarkswhichisidenticaltothatprovidedbysection7(4).
“25.Onpublicsignsandpostersandincommercial
advertising,thefollowingmayappearexclusivelyina
languageotherthanFrench:
(…)
(4)arecognizedtrade-markwithinthemeaningofthe
TradeMarksAct,unlessaFrenchversionhasbeen
registered”.
Thesamereasoningwhichappliestosection7(4)alsoappliestotheexception
ofsection25(4).
Thereexistsonedistinctionbetweensections51and58oftheCharterwhichis
relevantanytimethatFrenchandanotherlanguageorlanguagesarebeing
usedinconjunctionwitheachother.Whilesection51statesthataninscription
inalanguageotherthanFrenchappearingonaproductcannotbegiven
“greaterprominence”thanitsFrenchequivalent,section58takesitonestep
furtherbystatingthatifalanguageotherthanFrenchappearsonapublicsign,
posterorcommercialadvertising,theFrenchportionofsuchsign,posteror
advertisingmustbe”markedlypredominant”.Althoughitisbeyondthescopeof
thisarticletodelveintotheexactdefinitionof”markedlypredominant”,letit
sufficetomentionthatthereexistsaRegulationDefiningtheScopeofthe
Expression”MarkedlyPredominant”forthePurposeoftheCharteroftheFrench
Language,(R.R.Q.,c.C-11,r.10.2)which,asisindicatedbythetitle,deals
specificallywiththistopic.
Ingeneral,theCharterhasneverbeenoverlyrestrictiveinitsregulationoftrade-
marklanguageandisevenlessrestrictiveinitspresentform.Themostthathas
everbeenrequiredasregardstrademarkshasbeenthepresenceofaFrench
equivalentwheninscribedonaproductordisplayedinvariousformsof
advertising.TheCharternowallowsfortheexclusiveuseoftrade-marksin
languagesotherthanFrenchunlessaFrenchversionofthetrade-markhas
beenregistered.
ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommercevoué
depuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriétéintellectuelledanstousles
domaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèlesutilitaires;marquesdecommerce,marques
decertificationetappellationsd’origine;droitsd’auteur,propriétélittéraireetartistique,
droitsvoisinsetdel’artisteinterprète;informatique,logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;
biotechnologies,pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsdecommerce,know-
howetconcurrence;licences,franchisesettransfertsdetechnologies;commerce
électronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,
litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligenteetaudit;etce,tantauCanadaqu’ailleursdansle
monde.Lamaîtrisedesintangibles.
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.
COPYRIGHTER
IDEASLIVEHERE
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LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
LEGERROBICRICHARD
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THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TRADEMARKER
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YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOURIDEASTOTHEWORLD