The Act to protect consumers from planned obsolescence and to promote the durability, repairability and maintenance of goods (“Law 29”) was adopted as part of an effort to modernize consumer law in Quebec. It amends the Consumer Protection Act1 (“CPA”) and is intended to better protect consumers in terms of the durability and repairability of goods. The main changes brought about by Law 29 can be summarized as follows: It introduces a legal warranty of good working order for certain commonly used new goods. It enhances the legal warranty of availability of replacement parts and repair services for goods that require maintenance work. Regarding additional warranties, it adds an obligation for merchants to inform consumers, before entering into a contract, of the existence and content of any legal warranty of good working order. It prohibits marketing goods with planned obsolescence and using techniques that make it more difficult for consumers to maintain or repair goods. These new measures have been gradually coming into force since October 5, 2023. The legal warranty of good working order will start to apply on October 5, 2026, marking the last phase of implementation2. 1.     The legal warranty of good working order Under sections 38.1 and following of the CPA, certain new consumer goods will be covered by a warranty of good working order at the time of sale. Entry into force and scope The new warranty will come into force on October 5, 2026. It imposes a minimum period of good working order during which the merchant or manufacturer of a good will be bound to cover repair costs, including parts and labour3. Exclusions However, the following will not be covered by the warranty: Normal maintenance and the resulting replacement of parts Damage resulting from misuse by the consumer4. Covered goods and duration of the warranty The Regulation respecting the application of the Consumer Protection Act5 (the “Regulation”) determines which goods are covered and the duration of the warranty6 that applies to each good. Here are some examples: Range, refrigerator, freezer, air conditioner and heat pump: six years Dishwasher, washing machine, dryer: five years Television set: four years Desktop computer, laptop, tablet, cell phone, video game console: three years 2.    Display and disclosure obligations Before a contract is entered into For in-store sales, merchants will have to display the duration of the warranty of good working order applicable to the good near the good’s price7. Also, before entering into a contract containing an additional warranty for goods already covered by the warranty of good working order, merchants will have to provide consumers with a notice informing them of the existence and scope of such warranty, in accordance with the requirements of sections 91.9 and 91.10 of the Regulation8. After a contract has been entered into After a sale, the merchant will have to provide the consumer with a written document outlining the legal warranty of good working order, including their obligations in the event of malfunction of the goods during the coverage period9. Penalties A merchant or manufacturer who fails to indicate the duration of the warranty near the sale price or fails to provide the associated document after the sale will be subject to a fine ranging from $3,000 to $75,000 (in the case of a legal person)10. 3.    Our advice With the legal warranty of good working order slated to come into force in fall 2026, manufacturers and merchants operating within Quebec should prepare to deal with the new warranty now, in particular by: Identifying the goods that may be subject to the warranty Confirming which minimal periods of good working order apply under the Regulation Updating labels, in-store displays and information materials Reviewing contractual and pre-contractual documentation, including documents provided during the sale of additional warranties, to incorporate the required notices Given that the warranty will require covering certain repair costs, and that it will come with specific obligations regarding displays and consumer information, we highly recommend that you go through with the above analysis. We are available to assist you with the implementation of measures to comply with the new requirements of Law 29, in particular by helping you identify affected products, reviewing your documentation and disclosures and providing advice on how to adapt your business practices. Consumer Protection Act, CQLR c. P-40.1 Supra note 1, s. 37 Id., s. 38.2. Id., s. 38.3. Regulation to amend the Regulation respecting the application of the Consumer Protection Act, O.C. 1459-2025 (G.O. II), s. 1. Regulation respecting the application of the Consumer Protection Act, CQLR, c. P-40.1, r. 3. Id., s. 38.8. Supra, note 5, ss. 3 and 4. Supra, note 1, s. 38.9. Supra, note 1, s. 277.

WHEN? On Tuesday May 26, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. PANELS Our experts will hold four talks on the latest topics in this area of these talks below: Labour and employment law in 2025 and early 2026: the art of navigating a constantly changing world Speakers: Frédéric Desmarais and Ariane Pasquier Employee personal information: compliance, governance and tools Speaker : Guillaume Laberge  Trends and innovations in labour and employment law outside Quebec Speakers: Brittany Carson and Marc Ouellet AI in business: managing legal risks without hindering innovation in HR Speakers: Gaspard Petit and Anne-Sophie Paradis Webinar registration The talks are recognized as training courses by the Barreau du Québec and the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agrees (CRHA).

The theme for this year’s World Intellectual Property Day is “IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate”, celebrating IP’s contributions to the world of athletics, athletes, and fans alike. It may seem surprising, but the world of IP has always been strongly linked to sports, whether it be cutting-edge equipment and gear, or the latest trends and brands in apparel. In honour of this year’s theme, we at Lavery thought it would be fun to highlight various sports-related inventions that have been patented over the years. From the serious to the downright silly, we have chosen several patents that show IP’s important, and sometimes bizarre, contributions to sports and athletics. US 2642679A: Ice rink resurfacing machine Starting with a classic, Frank J. Zamboni’s 1949 patent for an “Ice rink resurfacing machine” is recognizable to anyone who’s ever attended a hockey game. Fun fact: between 1928 and 1978, Frank Zamboni was awarded a total of 15 patents related to ice resurfacing machines as well as other technologies.1 US 267799A: Cork swimming-suit Before there were swimsuits made of space-age materials featuring ultra-hydrodynamic designs, we apparently had swimsuits made of… cork? Patented by Paschal Plant in 1882, this suit was intended to be sufficiently buoyant so as to “enable a person to float with perfect security” and aid in coming up to the surface after a dive. Water safety has never been so fashionable! US6446264B2: Articles of clothing Fast forward 120 years to see how far swimwear innovation has advanced. The use of such “tech suits” correlated with the breaking of numerous swimming world records when introduced, emphasizing the real impact of innovation. US2662587A: Chair for aerial skilifts While modern ski lift technology has existed since the 1930s, Mcilvaine Alexander’s 1949 patent was the first to feature a retractable footrest that could be brought by the passenger into operating position during loading, thereby no longer requiring as much help from attendants.2 US642544A: Bicycle Patented by Louis S. Burbank in 1898, this “innovative” bicycle design is intended to “provide means whereby one may enjoy with a bicycle or similar vehicle exercise like that of rowing” and is “adapted to develop the muscles of the arms and body as well as those of the legs”. Looking at the image above, many questions arise, for example relating to starting, staying upright, and stopping. US638920A: Golf-tee According to the National Golf Foundation, at least 22,000 patents related in some way to golf were filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) between 1976 and 2018, the most of any sport by far.3 For comparison, baseball, the second most patented sport, saw 1,508 patents filed in the same period. An early example of a golf-related patent is this one for a “wooden” golf tee, patented by George F. Grant in 1899. According to the patent, the wooden golf tee was intended to replace “the usual conical mounds of sand or similar material formed by the fingers of the player on which the ball is supported when driving off”. US12011645B2: Golf tee Some 135 years later and golf tee innovation continues, in this case with a two-part design in which the upper portion can move and/or detach from the lower portion when the ball is struck, minimizing any resistance from the tee. US5356330A: Apparatus for simulating a "high five" When looking at technical achievements in sports, one can’t overlook the crowds of adoring fans. With that said, this invention relates to a self-righting hand-arm configuration, which is adapted to pivot when struck by a user, thereby simulating a "high five". According to the patent, solitary fans are, tragically, “unable to perform a ‘high five’ to express excitement during a televised sporting event”, making this invention nothing short of miraculous for such individuals. Other features of this invention include a “miniaturized, battery operated sound generator and speaker, for outputting a predetermined or user selectable sound in response to the striking of the simulated hand”. These sounds can include the “the cheer of a crowd or the voice of a specific player”. US1718305A: Basket ball Patented by George L. Pierce in 1928, this invention changed the look of basketballs to something more closely resembling their modern-day counterparts. According to the patent, basketballs had previously been made with panels tapering down to narrow points. This invention ensured a properly balanced basketball in which the best portions of the hide were saved and used in the pole portions of the ball. It is worth noting that basketballs were actually a dark brown until the late 1950s. The iconic orange colour we recognize today was initially selected by basketball coach Tony Hinkle, who thought it would be easier for fans to see.4 And there you have it, several sports-related patents, which—while not all game-changers—hopefully illustrated IP’s longstanding and far-reaching relationship with the world of athletics. It remains to be seen what wondrous (and wacky) inventions the future holds.   https://zamboni.com/about/zamboni-archives/patents/ https://gizmodo.com/17-historic-patents-that-make-winter-olympic-sports-pos-1520995330 https://www.dennemeyer.com/ip-blog/news/everyday-ip-the-notable-ip-of-golf-basketball-and-other-sports/ https://suiter.com/basketball-patents/