Intellectual property and Intellectual Property Protection (IPP) are considered important inputs into the ICT/tech innovation space, which is still underdeveloped in the Caribbean. Attorney at law, Grace Lindo, gives us a quick primer on IPP, and using some examples from Jamaica, she highlights some of the challenges of the current framework, which can hinder ICT/tech innovation.

 

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In discussions in the tech space, every so often the terms such as ‘patents’, ‘trademark’ and ‘intellectual property’ are mentioned. For at least the last 35 years, ICT innovation worldwide has been occurring at a rapid rate, and has transformed our work and personal lives, our relationship with technology, as well as our overall attitudes and behaviour. As a result, we might be a bit more aware of the term, intellectual property (IP), and have a better sense of why it is important.

However, whilst we may see IP as something that the Apples, Samsungs and Microsofts of the world establish and defend, it could be argued that Intellectual Property Protection (IPP) is considerably underdeveloped in the Caribbean region. The number of patents a country holds is not only considered an important indicator of innovation in that country, but also is an indication of the extent to which ICT is being leveraged. Hence, if Caribbean countries want to improve their performance in the plethora of ICT-readiness and ICT innovation assessments that are being administered, the extent to which their current IPP framework creates the enabling environment for innovation, ought to be carefully examined.

It is against that context, and continuing our series of discussions on innovation, which started in January, with our interview with Professor Patrick Hosein on Creating a more enabling environment for innovation in the Caribbean, that we are delving more deeply into IPP.

Grace Lindo

To give us a primer on the world of IPP, Grace Lindo, Attorney at Law, and a Partner at Nunes, Scholefield, DeLeon & Co (NSDCo) in Jamaica, is back on the Podcast. Grace heads NSDCo’s Intellectual property practice group, so she is excellently placed to help us to begin to wrap our minds around IPP, and which should be an important area to the Caribbean tech community.

Our discussion with Grace covered several areas, including following:

  1. Some of the key terms of which we should be aware in any discussion on Intellectual property Protection
  2. Whether Caribbean individuals and firms have become more proactive in seeking patents, copyrights or trademarks
  3. The difference between a non-disclosure agreement and establishing IPP
  4. Key requirements or considerations when deciding whether to register a patent, or to copyright or trademark an item
  5. What an individual, especially an MSME, might be able to do on his/her/its own before securing legal/expert IPP assistance
  6. The Madrid Protocol; what it is, and why it important
  7. Why most Caribbean countries have not agreed, or otherwise adopted the Madrid Protocol
  8. Some of the implications for intellectual property developed in the Caribbean in countries that are not being party to the Madrid Protocol, and subsequent agreements
  9. Changes or improvements in the IPP framework Grace hopes can be achieved in the short-to-medium term to create a more enabling environment for tech innovation in the region
  10. Some of the lessons learned from the Paymaster/Grace Kennedy case in Jamaica.

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

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Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Image credits:  BusinessSarah (flickr); G Lindo 

Music credit:  Ray Holman