V THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2024 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WEEK FEATURE | World Intellectual Property Day is recognised on April 26. It is perhaps significant that the protection of intellectual property rights is celebrated in the month that marks the start of the new financial year. The celebration of ‘IP Day’, at the start of the year, gives us the opportunity at JIPO, as we do at the end of one year and before the start of the other, to pause and reflect on the past year, to celebrate what went right and to devise strategies to address what could have been done better, it is also a time to recognise the achievements of the dedicated members of the staff at JIPO who through their work contribute to the growth and development of Jamaica. The year 2023, was a year of new beginnings for JIPO and, by extension, Jamaica. The full operation of three international treaties – the Madrid Protocol, the Patent Cooperation Treaty and The Hague Agreement concerning the International registration of Industrial Designs, signalled that anyone in Jamaica now has the opportunity to utilise these international agreements which allow persons to be able to, on payment of the requisite fees, protect their trademark, invention or design in several jurisdictions. There were also amendments made to the Copyright Act, which reiterated and provided support for the collective management organisations, as well as support to the blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled community and the hearing disabled community, to have access to works without copyright infringement or violation. The agricultural and horticultural sectors are being taken into account, as we are currently involved in the process of drafting new legislation for the protection of new plant varieties. Aside from the focus on our core role the registration of intellectual property, JIPO also continued to work to maintain our ISO 9000 2015 Quality Management System. The theme, ‘Protecting your Innovation’, importantly speaks to innovators and creatives and is adapted from Goal 9, of The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We look to our innovators to make a change with new inventions or modifications to existing infrastructure to develop future reliable and sustainable infrastructure. Innovators, therefore, drive progress by contributing to the development and economic progress of society. Also important is the need to protect the intellectual property rights of the inventor to ensure ownership protection and economic gains to be made. We join with the other 192 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), in recognising World Intellectual Property Day, aiming to raise awareness about the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) and its impact on innovation, creativity and economic development and encouraging creators, inventors and artists to innovate and produce new works. We would encourage you to utilise the services of the IP Office and look forward to answering any questions you may have on any of the intellectual property areas of Trade Mark, Design, Geographical Indication, Patent and Copyright – currently administered by JIPO. LILYCLAIRE BELLAMY Executive Director JIPO We look to our innovators to make a change with new inventions We join with the other 192 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), in recognising World Intellectual Property Day, aiming to raise awareness about the importance of Intellectual Property
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUzNTI=