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American company says it will stop shipping products to Quebec over new language law | CBC News

American company says it will stop shipping products to Quebec over new language law | CBC News

American company says it will stop shipping products to Quebec over new language law | CBC News
Sep 22, 2022 1 min, 49 secs

In a message at the top of OtterBox's home page, the Colorado-based accessory manufacturer says, that "due to the French language requirements of Bill 96, we have temporarily suspended shipments to Quebec, Canada.".

When users click on a link for more information, they're taken to a page where the company explains that the move is because Bill 96, which became law on June 1, "requires French language support across all sales and marketing touch points.".

Bill 96, officially titled An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Quebec, amends several pieces of provincial legislation, including the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101) and affirms "that the only official language of Québec is French.".

The CAQ government introduced it to beef up protections for French and it affects many aspects of life in the province including health care, education, immigration and business.

Under Bill 101, retailers doing business in Quebec, including those operating online, had to provide websites in French, but consumers who felt their language rights were infringed upon were limited to making a complaint to the Office québécois de la langue française.

Under Bill 96, however, consumers can directly take a company to court to get an injunction or potentially sue for damages if they feel their language rights are being violated.

But Kyprianou does feel it's important for customers to be served in the manner they want, and what's a barrier for firms outside the province could be a boon for Quebec companies that already operate in French.

The statement goes on to say many international companies do business in Quebec and respect the requirements of the French Language Charter and that "serving the Québécois clientele in the official and common language can only be beneficial to companies who want to develop a market in Quebec.".

Bill 96 controversially includes the use of the notwithstanding clause to shield the law from legal challenges that could argue it contravenes the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Charter, although at least one case challenging specific provisions of the law is before the courts.

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