American smartphone accessory maker, OtterBox, says it has halted shipments of iPhone cases and more to Quebec, as it complies with French language laws in the province.
The company’s website has a message on its homepage, stating it has temporarily stopped shipments to Quebec, due to French language requirements.
“We have temporarily suspended shipments to Quebec, Canada due to Bill 96, which requires French language support across all sales and marketing touch points,” said OtterBox. “We are working to comply with the provisions of this new law so we can resume shipments to Quebec as soon as possible.”
OtterBox then lists a variety of third-party retailers where customers can buy their iPhone and smartphone accessories, such as the Apple Store, Amazon Canada, wireless carriers and more.
“If you are based in Quebec and need support with a product warranty, please contact our customer service team using the form dropdown at the bottom of the page here,” says OtterBox.
“We are working hard to implement solutions that would allow us to resume shipping directly to consumers in Quebec again,” said an Otter Products spokesperson to CBC News. “In the meantime, we recommend consumers find OtterBox products at Quebec-based retailers.”
Back in June, Bill 96 came into effect and essentially required retailers—including those online—to serve customers in French. The bill also allows consumers to take companies to court, should any language rights be possibly violated.
