KINGSTON, Jamaica — State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Floyd Green, says the new Patents and Designs Bill will be tabled in Parliament this month.

Green said he recently attended the final sitting of the Legislative Committee of Cabinet where they signed off on the final amendments, and now the Bill is ready to go before Parliament.

“With this new Bill, Jamaica will have one of the most modern patents systems in the entire region,” the minister stated.

He added that, “The government has to provide the framework for local brands to be protected and this is why we are working to enhance that framework, hence my commitment and drive to see this new bill brought to fruition in the shortest possible order.”

Green was speaking at the three-day regional seminar spearheaded by Jamaica Intellectual Property Organisation (JIPO) in partnership with World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) to explore the use of Intellectual Property to enhance export opportunities, on Tuesday, November 11 at the Courtleigh Hotel.

Noting that the next step is to ensure a more robust educational drive to assist Jamaicans in understanding and appreciating the need to protect their ideas, Green then invited the JMEA to partner with the government to develop this educational campaign.

The ministry said the new Patents and Designs bill will take Jamaica up to the current world standards in Intellectual Property (IP) rights.

At the seminar, the minister spoke to export opportunities with the use of IP, by stating that he supports WIPO’s stance that IP rights, especially trademarks and industrial designs, may help people to develop an advantageous market position in export markets, and that IP rights enhance the opportunity of winning loyal clientele for products and services in export markets.

“In our rapidly developing global economy, IP is essential in fostering and bolstering creativity, originality, innovation and competitiveness. So, it is important to protect and boost your Intellectual Property internationally,” Green declared.

“Exporting broadens the horizons for creators and enhances the growth of the local economy. So, the onus is on us is to explore these opportunities, educate and encourage the public to continue creating and keep innovating, because we can, as a country and as a region, dominate the global space,” he added.