All posts by hsmoffice

HSM IP is excited to attend INTA’s Annual Meeting in San Diego, California this May.  You can find us at Booth No. 1820 where we will be ready and waiting with supplies of our much sought after rum cakes, as well as information about our first class IP services, of course!  In attendance will be: Managing Director, Huw St. J. Moses. OBE; IP coordinator, Kim R. Rough-Moses; Attorney, Sophie Davies; Head Paralegal, Natasha Whitelocke; and Paralegal, Jennifer Cotarelo-Choice.  Members of the HSM IP team will also be attending the following events, amongst others: ASIPI Cocktail Reception, BakerHostetler Cocktail Party, Bereskin & Parr’s 50th Anniversary Reception, Sudath Perera Reception, and Merchant & Gould Reception, etc.

The Cayman Islands government has committed to the modernization of the Island’s outdated copyright law.  The first step of the modernization process was completed in March 2015, when the Copyright (Cayman Islands) Order 2015 was passed.  It is hoped that the Order will be implemented in the next 3 to 5 months after a public education campaign has been completed.  The Order revokes the extension of the UK’s 1956 Copyright Act to the Cayman Islands, and as a temporary measure, extends the UK’s 1988 Act to the Cayman Islands subject to certain changes which were incorporated to make it work from a local perspective.  It is hoped that in late 2015 / early 2016 the amended 1988 Act will be repealed in Cayman and our own local legislation will be introduced subject to a suitable transition period.  The new law will ensure that Cayman is able to offer locals and international businesses alike the level of copyright protection expected on the international arena.

A new Trade Marks Act is in the process of being finalised in the Cayman Islands. It is anticipated that the new law will be passed and implemented by January 2017. The new law will make it possible for trade mark proprietors to file for trade mark protection in the Cayman Islands directly. Currently, it is only possible for proprietors to gain trade mark protection in the Cayman Islands by way of an application to extend an existing UK or Community trade mark registration. This can be a costly and time consuming process, particularly for proprietors who have no desire or need to maintain trade marks in the UK and/or EU. The new law provides for a full examination and opposition process, as well as modern trade mark infringement provisions and effective remedies.