JIPO to Stage Several Activities for IP Week

The Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) has announced Intellectual Property (IP) Week celebrations, which will be staged from Sunday, April 21 to April 28.

Intellectual Property Week, an annual event in Jamaica, coincides with World Intellectual Property Day, celebrated globally on April 26 each year.

The week-long events aim to raise awareness and highlight the importance of Intellectual Property rights in driving innovation, creativity and economic growth.

In an interview with JIS News, the agency’s Deputy Director, Legal Counsel, Shantal English, informed that the week’s activities will begin with a church service on Sunday, April 21.

To be held at the Waltham Park New Testament Church of God, located at 65 Waltham Park Road, “The service marks the official launch of IP Week and will be attended by JIPO staff members, members of the IP community, stakeholders, and families,” she said.

On Monday, April 22, JIPO will embark on a tour of several schools across Jamaica, engaging students on the theme ‘Innovate. Create. Accelerate’.

This initiative underscores JIPO’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and creativity among Jamaica’s youth.

Tuesday, April 23, will see JIPO leveraging social media platforms to engage with a wider audience on Intellectual Property-related topics, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, April 24, JIPO will host a virtual seminar titled, ‘Know your Collective Management Organisations (CMO)’.

Ms. English explained that this informative session, “conducted in collaboration with the Jamaican Copyright Licensing Agency Limited (JAMCOPY); the Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers (JACAP); and the Jamaica Music Society (JAMMS), will offer participants insights into the role of CMOs and their rights to operate in Jamaica”.

The virtual forum will be held via the Zoom platform from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

Persons interested in participating in the session may do so using the meeting ID: 934 6273 2071 and Passcode: CMO.

On Thursday, April 25, there will be a 10:00 a.m. press conference on IP enforcement, highlighting the importance of combatting Intellectual Property violations.

For this briefing, JIPO will collaborate with the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (CTOC) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force to underscore “the importance of IP and not infringing someone else’s IP”.

The press conference will be held at the CTOC office at 45 East Queen Street, downtown Kingston.

For World Intellectual Property Day, which will be celebrated on Friday, April 26, JIPO will host a round-table discussion focused on ‘Intellectual Property and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’, with particular emphasis on Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

In partnership with the Scientific Research Council, the discussion will delve into strategies for protecting innovation and fostering sustainable development.

Aspiring inventors and entrepreneurs looking to gain insights from experienced mentors in IP and business, enhancing their journey towards sustainability, may tune in on Facebook Live @JIPOOnline or on Zoom using the Meeting ID: 976 1551 9512 and Passcode: innovation.

On Sunday, April 28, the agency will publish an IP supplement in the local newspaper.

Persons interested in participating in the various activities throughout IP Week can find more information on the JIPO website at https://www.jipo.gov.jm/.