Quebec Superior Court ruling on English trademarks on storefront signs

摘要

The decision is the result of a motion filed by several retailers, Best Buy, Costco, Gap, Old Navy, Wal-Mart, Guess? Toys "R" Us and Curves, for a declaratory judgment on the interpretation of sections of the Charter of the French Language (Charter) and its regulations adopted under the Charter of the French Language (the Regulation), which related to trademarks and trade names displayed on signage. The Office quebecois de la langue francaise (OQLF) had changed its interpretation of the Charter and the Regulation by drawing a distinction between trademarks and trade names on public signs. The OQLF considers the display of a trademark on signage to be the display of a trade name, thus requiring the addition of a French descriptor of the nature of the business to the trade name if it is not in French.