Quebec's Bill 96 could lead to 'disappearance of popular products': International Trademark Association
CTV
Proposed regulations on the language of commercial signage could lead to the 'disappearance of popular products' from Quebec stores, says an international business group.
Proposed regulations on the language of commercial signage could lead to the "disappearance of popular products" from Quebec stores, says an international business group.
The costs and irritants surrounding its application could force some manufacturers to avoid Quebec, according to the head of the International Trademark Association (INTA), which represents 6,500 companies in 181 jurisdictions.
"Companies will have to ask themselves if it really makes sense to be in the Quebec market," warns INTA President and CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo in an interview. "The moment a company asks itself these questions, it means a possible product withdrawal from the market, and therefore less choice for consumers."
Sanz de Acedo points out that consumers would lose out: "If there's less choice for consumers, it means that some companies will have more opportunities to raise prices, since less choice means higher prices."
The draft regulation on sign language clarifies the application of certain provisions of Bill 96. The spokesperson for trademark owners said INTA supports the principle of protecting the French language. "I'm French," he said. "I will always defend the interests of the French language."
However, his association is "worried" about certain provisions of the draft regulations. One of INTA's concerns is the translation of words engraved on a product. In its brief, the association gives the example of the inside drawer of a washing machine, where the identification of the various compartments (detergents, fabric softeners, etc.) are engraved in English.
Sanz de Acedo stresses that translating these markings is much more complex than translating a user manual: "It would mean, for example, that manufacturers would have to change their manufacturing molds. If a manufacturer had to change its manufacturing method exclusively for the Quebec market, it would entail considerable costs for a company."
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