Basseterre, St. Kitts (SKNIS) — Content creators had the opportunity for important education in protecting their intellectual property this week during a national seminar by the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The seminar, which was held on January 26 and 27, engaged key stakeholders in the creative industries including literary, artistic, musical & dramatic works, sound recording, video and film and graphic design.
The seminar was facilitated by Claudette Jenkins, Registrar of the Intellectual Property Office of St. Kitts and Nevis who urged participants to take the initiative for themselves to protect their intellectual property because the Federation does have sufficient avenues to ensure that rights holders are covered. Sonia Cruickshank, Program Officer of the WIPO Copyright Development Division in Geneva, Steve Etienne, General Manager of Eastern Caribbean Copyright Organization and Tene Reece, Intellectual Property Consultant gave presentations on topics such as The Legal Framework of Copyright in Saint Kitts, Challenges Facing the Country, Balancing the Rights between Owners & Users, Benefits and Disadvantages of Copyright Registration and Documentation, Collective Management Systems in the Eastern Caribbean and Enforcement of Copyright.
Officers from the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) and Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise Department presented on their role in enforcing local and international laws on copyright protection.
After being educated on the intricacies on copyright guidelines and the avenues for protecting their work from infringement, creators were urged to become familiar with important legislation associated with copyright protection such as the Copyright Act of St. Kitts-Nevis and international policies such as The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.
Persons wishing to know more can contact the Intellectual Property Office by emailing ipo@gov.kn or calling 465-3916.