Quebec Proposes New French Language Requirements For Public Signage

On May 4, 2016, the Quebec government introduced draft regulations proposing amendments to Quebec's Charter of the French Language that would require public signage that displays English trade-marks to also include a French-language description of the business or other "sufficient presence of French."

Key events leading up to the proposed amendments

The proposed amendments come after many years of attempts by the Office québécois de la langue française (the Office) to require retailers to use French on exterior store signage. Most recently, in 2011, the Office attempted to impose an interpretation of the Charter requiring that a generic term in French accompany their English trade-mark on their public signs, posters and commercial advertising. In response, a number of retailers challenged the Office's interpretation in court and were ultimately successful with the Quebec Superior Court siding with the retailers. The Attorney General of Québec appealed the