Translation: What is your name?

Many big-name business are taking the Quebec government to court due to a controversy over French signs. Quebec’s language watchdog, The Office Quebecois de la Langue Francaise, is insisting that retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy, Old Navy and Costco change their signs to incorporate some French.

Six companies that are taking legal action of the issue and who are represented by two law firms are Walmart, Costco, Best Buy, Gap, Old Navy and Guess. These retailers are appealing to the Quebec Superior Court and are arguing that language laws have not formally been changed and that the language office does not have the right to demand that these retailers change their signs to incorporate French. Furthermore, section 63 of Quebec’s French Language Charter states that the name of a business must be in French, however this generally hasn’t been applied to trademarked names.

The vice-president for the Retail Council of Canada’s Quebec branch, Nathalie St-Pierre, says “the province wants to change the rules without having modified the law”. She states the case that many other companies have abided by Quebec’s language requirements for a very long time and now they’re being forced to comply with a new interpretation of an old law. Provincial politicians have supported the watchdog’s move in calling for the larger companies to comply with the law but fail to acknowledge the fact that for companies, changing signage could be a costly venture.

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/11/18/quebec-language-rules_n_2153803.html?utm_hp_ref=canada-business

http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/businesses+heading+court+against+Quebec+government+over+French/7567073/story.html

http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/Detail.aspx?g=b0658a4c-c80e-434a-bbc4-4a8a1e67616f

Images:

http://couponchristine.com/insider-information-from-a-couponer-secret-money-saving-tips-for-shopping-at-costco/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/lydiadishman/2012/05/22/wanted-new-ceo-to-steer-best-buy-through-troubled-water-must-have-turnaround-experience/