Jamaicans Urged to get Legal to Sell Products Under CWC Brand

Jamaicans are being urged to go the legal route in obtaining a licence to sell their products under the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007 brand, during the tournament next year.
The appeal was issued by officials of the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC), at a press briefing on small business and the ICC CWC 2007, which was held at the Ministry’s Trafalgar Road offices today (December 13).
Manager of Technical Services at the JBDC, Colin Porter emphasized that everyone was being encouraged not to engage in any activity involving the illegal use of ICC markings to sell products that have not been so licensed, and that there were penalties to deal with breaches, as set out in the recently passed ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Act.
He further stressed that not only would individuals be brought to book if found guilty of such activities, but the country would be put at risk of facing sanctions by the ICC.
Mr. Porter explained that an anti-infringement measure has been established to prevent persons from reproducing items and selling them without authorization. He noted that each officially licensed product would be outfitted with a hologram or authentication device.
Chief Executive Officer of the JBDC, Valerie Veira indicated that the main aim was prevention through sensitization.
In an effort to create greater awareness on matters such as licensing and intellectual property issues, the JBDC would play a critical role in equipping micro, small and medium sized enterprises for the event, by providing training for entrepreneurs and communities, and sensitising them to the requisite standards being demanded by the ICC.
“People need to recognize that it won’t be business as usual. We are really appealing, as the Local Organising Committee (LOC), to our fellow Jamaicans out there, not to ‘try a thing’, but to do it legally,” Commercial Manager for the LOC, Roxanne Morris emphasized.
On June 1, the JBDC was granted a licence by the ICC to produce, distribute and vend craft items bearing the Council’s official markings. This licence allows the JBDC to be the umbrella organization facilitating small manufacturers and producers for the World Cup, until May 31, 2007.
The Caribbean region will be hosting Cricket World Cup between March 5 and April 28 next year. Host countries include Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, Barbados, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Several warm-up matches, the opening ceremony and a semi-final will be held in Jamaica. It is estimated that more than 20,000 visitors will attend the opening ceremony.