U.S. government concerned about Quebec's French-language rules for commercial signage

Concerns about Quebec's proposed regulations on the language of commercial signage have reached as far as Washington after the U.S. government expressed its worries about the impact on American businesses.

Concerns about Quebec's proposed regulations on the language of commercial signage have reached as far as Washington after the U.S. government expressed its worries about the impact on American businesses.

During a meeting between senior officials from the two countries, the Biden administration "shared concerns about trademark provisions of Quebec's Bill 96 and their potential implications for U.S. businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises," wrote the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, in a brief statement summarizing the topics discussed during the meeting.

The Office did not specify its concerns and did not respond to questions sent Friday morning by The Canadian Press.

Quebec's storefronts have until June 1, 2025, to double their window space in French, according to a draft regulation published in Quebec's Official Gazette on Jan. 10.

The draft regulation clarifies the application of certain provisions of Bill 14 (better known as Bill 96). It is still under consultation until the end of February.

Behind its diplomatic language, the Biden administration has just sent "a signal," according to Michel Rochette, president of the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) for Quebec. "We have to understand that there is concern on the American side, and we have to address this fear.

Eliane Ellbogen, an intellectual property lawyer with Fasken in Montreal, notes that the rules on commercial signage are raising many concerns.