On May 24, 2022, the National Assembly of Québec adopted
Bill 96, An Act respecting French, the official and common
language of Québec ("Bill
96"), reforming language laws in the province.
Bill 96 will have broad implications for non-French trademarks
used in Québec. All businesses which operate or plan to
operate in Québec should conduct an immediate evaluation of
their trademark portfolios and business operations (for more
information on broader Bill 96 business considerations, see our
recent bulletin
here).
Currently, recognized trademarks in other languages (i.e.
registered marks, applications for registration, and common law
marks) are exempt* from French-language packaging, signage and
advertising laws, so long as there is no corresponding French
registration for the mark in Canada.
