Reading: 5.3 Business Protections Laws and Standards
| Category | Why | When | Where / Who | Examples |
| Contract Law | Fulfillment of Goods and Services | Applies to agreements between buyers and sellers (B2B, B2C, and government). Includes both consumer and manufacturer responsibilities. | Contract Law & Tort Principles (Ministry of Justice) | Contracts can be verbal, written, or implied. Includes class action lawsuits on defective products (negligent manufacture, design, or failure to warn). Protects consumer rights. |
| Trademark Enforcement | Brand and Intellectual Property Protection | When creating, registering, or protecting a brand, product, or service identity. | Trademarks Act (Canadian Intellectual Property Office) | Trademarks can be protected for 10 years (renewable). Recent modernization aligns with international treaties. Protects logos, names, and even certain brand features. |
| Pricing of Products | Fairness and Transparency for Competition | Applies in pricing, advertising, mergers, and anti-competitive practices. | Competition Act (Competition Bureau) | Protects businesses and consumers from deceptive pricing, price-fixing, false advertising, and abuse of market dominance. Recent 2022–2023 amendments increased penalties and expanded investigative powers. |
| Financial Disclosure | Investor and Consumer Protection | When corporations issue shares, financial reports, or operate in regulated industries. | Canada Business Corporations Act (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) | Public companies must disclose financial information. Strengthened rules ensure transparency for investors and consumers; enforced by provincial securities regulators and federal law. |
Creation note: This content was updated with the assistance of ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI, and was subsequently reviewed and edited by the author for clarity and accuracy.
