A couple in Quebec have been fined for operating an English
language-only web site. This violates a Quebec language law which
states that advertising must be published in both English and
French. The law allows retailers to display words in English, but
there must also be a visible French translation and it applies to
all mediums of advertising.
Muriel and Stanley Reid follow ten other people in the province
to be fined under the French Language Charter. However, the Reids’
lawyer, Brent Tyler, says that the Quebec law was written before
the world got ‘wired’, and therefore does not make any mention of
the internet. Their lawyer also maintains that the law should not
apply to them as they are only selling to English speaking
customers outside Quebec. They plan to challenge the fine in
court.
