The Charter of the French Language. "CHAPTER VII THE LANGUAGE OF COMMERCE AND BUSINESS 51. Every inscription on a product, on its container or on its wrapping, or on a document or object supplied with it, including the directions for use and the warranty certificates, must be drafted in French. This rule applies also to menus and wine lists. The French inscription may be accompanied with a translation or translations, but no inscription in another language may be given greater prominence than that in French. 1977, c. 5, s. 51; 1997, c. 24, s. 24." According to Section 51, inscriptions on menus and wine lists in a language or languages other than French may be of the same size, but not bigger. ("no inscription in another language may be given greater prominence than that in French") "58. Public signs and posters and commercial advertising must be in French. They may also be both in French and in another language provided that French is markedly predominant. However, the Government may determine, by regulation, the places, cases, conditions or circumstances where public signs and posters and commercial advertising must be in French only, where French need not be predominant or where such signs, posters and advertising may be in another language only." In this case, public signs, posters and commercial advertising may have other languages as well as French, "provided that French is markedly predominant." The question remains, therefore, what is "markedly predominant"? This is a gray area. However, it clearly shows that they may have other languages on the signs, posters and commercial advertising. So, any store, business or restaurant that says that everything must be in French only has either been misled, or is purposely misleading the public.
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 01:20:00 +0000
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