JIPO Encourages Creators To Register IP Rights

Creators are being encouraged to register their Intellectual Property (IP) rights with the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO).

“We maintain registers for persons who have IP rights, such as trademarks, designs, geographical indications, patents, designs and, more recently, copyright,” said Deputy Director and Legal Counsel, JIPO, Dr. Marcus Goffe, during a recent webinar on IP Enforcement hosted by JIPO.

“IP rights registration, though not mandatory, is an important step for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to take, as it provides an avenue to enforce their rights,” he shared.

Dr. Goffe explained that on registering their IP rights, a certificate is issued to the IP owner(s).

“These certificates are authenticated under the various IP laws, as enforcement of IP rights may involve civil and criminal cases,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Goffe noted that JIPO often engages in IP enforcement training with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

“IP enforcement is a serious matter globally, and we want to ensure that MSMEs in Jamaica can operate in a space where their rights are protected and enforced,” he said.

JIPO is the Government’s central focal point for the administration of intellectual property rights in Jamaica in the areas of trademarks, industrial designs and geographical indications, copyright and related rights, patents, new plant varieties and layout-designs (topographies).

The IP Enforcement webinar also featured speakers from several partner organisations involved in IP enforcement globally, including Joe James, Economic/Commercial Officer, United States Embassy, Kingston; Assistant Superintendent of Police, Victor Barrett, Counterterrorism and Organised Crime (C-TOC), Jamaica Constabulary Force; Director of the Contraband Enforcement Team at the Jamaica Customs Agency, Albert Anderson; and Laurent Szymkowiak from the European Union Intellectual Property Office.