Language Requirements in Quebec: A Few Rules to Keep in Mind

2015-12-22

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LANGUAGEREQUIREMENTSINQUEBEC:AFEWRULESTOKEEPINMIND

CATHERINEBERGERONANDTHOMASGAGNON-VANLEEUWEN*
ROBIC,
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L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS

BusinessesoperatinginQuebecmustcomplywithvariousFrenchlanguage
requirements.Asageneralrule,productpackaging,marketingandpromotional
materials(includingwebsites),publicsignsandcommercialadvertising,aswellas
corporatenamesandbusinessnamesmustbeinFrench,subjecttosomepermitted
translationsinotherlanguages.
Oneofthemostimportantexceptionstothisgeneralruleisthetrade-markexception,
whichallowsthedisplayofa“recognizedtrade-mark”inalanguageotherthan
Frenchonproductpackaging,advertisingmaterialsandpublicsigns.Whilethe
QuebecCourtofAppealrecentlyconfirmedthatabusinessmaydisplayits
recognizedtrade-markonpublicsignswithoutaFrenchcomponent,theQuebec
governmenthasindicatedthatitintendstorestrictthisexception.

1.Generalrule
AsFrenchistheofficiallanguageoftheprovinceofQuebec,theCharterofthe
FrenchLanguage(the“Charter”)imposesvariousFrenchlanguagerequirementsto
productpackaging,marketingandpromotionalmaterials(includingwebsites),public
signsandcommercialadvertising,aswellascorporatenamesandbusinessnames
usedinQuebec.TheCharterprovidesasageneralrulethatthefollowingmustbein
French,subjecttopermittedtranslationsandmanyotherexceptionsprovidedbythe
Regulationrespectingthelanguageofcommerceandbusiness(the“Regulation”).

1.1Products
Inscriptionsonaproduct,itspackagingoradocumentsuppliedwithit(suchas
directionsforuseandwarrantyinformation)mustbedraftedinFrench.However,
translationsinlanguagesotherthanFrencharepermittedaslongastheyarenot
moreprominentthantheFrenchinscription.
1.2Commercialpublications

©CIPS,2015.*FromROBIC,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Published
intheFall2015(Vol.19,no.1)Newsletterofthefirm.Publication068.199E.

2
Catalogues,brochures,folders,commercialdirectoriesandanysimilarpublications,
includingwebsites,mustbedrawnupinFrench.However,aversionexclusivelyina
languageotherthanFrenchmayexist,providedthattheFrenchversion“isavailable
undernolessfavourableconditionsofaccessibilityandqualitythantheversioninthe
otherlanguage”.
1.3Publicsignsandcommercialadvertising
Publicsigns,postersandcommercialadvertisingmustbeinFrench.However,they
maybebothinFrenchandanotherlanguageaslongasFrenchis“markedly
predominant”,whichmeansthatFrenchmusthave“amuchgreatervisualimpact
thanthetextintheotherlanguage”.
1.4Corporatenamesandbusinessnames
TheCharterprovidesthatthenameofabusinessmustbeinFrench.This
requirementmaybesatisfiedbyaddingagenericFrenchcomponenttoan
expressioninanotherlanguage.Forexample,“MagasinsBestBuyLtée”combines
thegenericFrenchcomponent“Magasins”(“stores”)withanEnglishexpression.
Theserequirementsapplytoanycorporatenameorbusinessname.Thenameofa
corporationconstitutedundertheQuebecBusinessCorporationsActmustcomply
withtheserequirements.OthercorporationsthatcarryonbusinessinQuebec,such
asfederalcorporations,neednotchangetheirnamebutmustuseandregistera
FrenchversionoftheirnameinQuebec,pursuanttoAnActRespectingtheLegal
PublicityofEnterprises.
2.Trade-markexception
OneofthemostimportantexceptionsprovidedbytheRegulationisthetrade-mark
exception:arecognizedtrade-markwithinthemeaningoftheTrade-marksActmay
beusedonproductpackaging,advertisingmaterialsandpublicsignsinQuebecina
languageotherthanFrench,unlessaFrenchversionhasbeenregistered.
Therefore,somebusinesseschoosetonotregisteraFrenchversionoftheirtrade-
markinordertocontinueusingtheEnglishversion.

2.1Unregisteredtrade-marksinalanguageotherthanFrench

Oneissuethathasbeendebatediswhetherunregisteredtrade-marksfallwithinthe
meaningof“recognizedtrade-mark”.WhiletheOfficequébécoisdelalangue
française(the“OQLF”)adoptsthepositionthatatrade-markmustbedulyregistered
withtheTrade-marksOfficeinordertobeconsideredasa“recognizedtrade-mark”,
courtshaveconsistentlyruledsofarthat“recognizedtrade-marks”include

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unregisteredtrade-marks,solongastheyareusedasatrade-mark(andnot,for
example,merelyasatradenameortodescribegoodsorservices).Intheinterestof
certainty,manyenterprisesdoingbusinessinQuebechaveoptedtoregistertheir
trade-marksinalanguageotherthanFrench(mostoftheminEnglish),withouta
Frenchversion.Needlesstosay,thisapproachalsofacilitatestheliaisonwiththe
OQLFincaseofcontestation.
2.2Useasatrade-markortradename
Anotherimportantissuethathasbeendebatediswhetherthedisplayofa“name”on
apublicsignshouldbeconsideredastheuseofatrade-mark(hencecoveredby
thetrade-markexception)ortheuseofatradename(whichdoesnotfallwithinthe
exception).Indeed,asdiscussedabove,theCharteralsoprovidesthatthenameof
anenterprisemustbeinFrenchinQuebec.Asopposedtotheprovisionsregarding
publicsignsandcommercialadvertising,therearenoexceptionsallowingtheuseof
abusinessnameinalanguageotherthanFrench.
Overthepastfewyears,theOQLFhastakenamoreaggressivestanceinrequiring
businessestonotdisplaytheirEnglishtrade-marksontheirpublicindoorand
storefrontsignsbecauseofthisnamerequirement.Inthisrespect,manybusinesses
receivednoticesfromtheOQLFaskingthat,asaminimum,theyaddageneric
FrenchcomponenttotheirEnglishnameontheirsigns.

AgroupoflargecompanieschallengedtheOQLF’spositionandtheQuebecCourtof
AppealsidedwiththeminApril2015[Québec(Procureuregénérale)vMagasins
BestBuyltée,2015QCCA747(2015-04-28)],confirmingtheSuperiorCourt’sruling
thatbusinessescandisplaytheirrecognizedtrade-marksonpublicsignsoutside
theirpremiseswithouttheneedtoaddFrenchgenericlanguage.

WhiletheQuebecgovernmentdecidedtonotappealthisdecision,ithasannounced
thatitintendstotablenewregulationsinthefallof2015thatwillrestrictthetrade-
markexceptionandrequirebusinessestoaddagenericFrenchcomponenttotheir
name.
3.Non-legalconsiderations
BeyondthelegalimplicationsofadoptinganEnglishtrade-markorcorporatename
inQuebec,consumerperceptionofabrandisanaspectthatshouldnotbe
overlooked.TheissueoftheFrenchlanguageinQuebecissensitive,politicaland
oftengeneratesmediacoverage.Therefore,adoptinganEnglishbrandraisesissues
thatgowellbeyondtheregulatoryaspects.

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