HSM IP LTD
Empowering Creativity: How Cayman Island’s New IP Rules Will Support Domestic Entrepreneurs!
Good news for Caymanian brand owners! On 20 August 2024, the Cayman Islands Government announced its decision to amend the Trade Marks Act, 2016, and the Trade Mark Regulations, 2017, with the aim of making it more convenient and accessible Read more +
Who’s Who Legal Recommends Huw Moses in IP Trademarks 2024 Guide
Who’s Who Legal (WWL) has featured Huw Moses as a notable Intellectual Property expert in their recently released 2024 Trademarks Guide. WWL says “Huw Moses is a reputable name in intellectual property. He is well known for having a major Read more +
Cayman Trade Mark Spotlight: Jacques Scott
Kate Cleary, an Intellectual Property Manager at HSM IP, reached out to Peter Dutton, Managing Director at Jacques Scott to get his feedback on registering his trade mark in the Cayman Islands. HSM IP is a specialist intellectual property law Read more +
HSM IP to Attend MARQUES Annual Conference 2024
HSM IP’s Intellectual Property Manager, Kate Cleary, will attend MARQUES Annual Conference 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden from 24-27 September 2024. The theme for the MARQUES Annual Conference 2024 is ‘The Many Traits of the Trademark Expert’. Sessions will cover diverse Read more +
IP Reform on the Horizon for Bermuda
Update: The Trade Marks Act 2023 and Trade Marks and Service Marks Regulations Amendment and Validation Act 2023 received royal assent on 17 October 2023.
As Intellectual Property (IP) specialists in the Caribbean, HSM IP is thrilled to hear that the Bermuda Government is making efforts to update its intellectual property laws.
Vance Campbell (Minister for Bermuda Tourism and the Cabinet Office) recently shared in December 2022 that this huge undertaking would involve collaboration among the Ministry for Tourism and the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs with the Department of Registry General and the Ministry of Economy and Labour through the Economic Development Department. A special IP Taskforce has already been assigned.
Their objective is to make legislation governing trade marks, patents, registered designs and copyrights more fully aligned with UK and global standards and best practices allowing Bermuda to better compete for business.
Reports indicate that they are tackling trade marks first. Bermuda’s trade mark laws were originally enacted nearly 50 years ago.
One of the areas this new legislation plans to address is for Bermuda’s trade mark registration and renewal periods to be amended to cover 10-year terms. Since current registration periods are only seven years, this will be a welcome change.
As matters stand today in Bermuda, it typically takes 12 to 18 months for the Registry to process a local application for registration.
The Bermuda Government intends to submit to the UK formal requests for extension of several treaties governing the protection of IP rights. Their project team is coordinating with the UK Intellectual Property Office and will be submitting copies of the draft legislation to the UK IPO for review and comment.
With regard to Bermuda’s patent legislation, work has already begun to modernise the law and it will follow a similar course to that of the trade marks legislation.
Bermuda’s copyright laws are the most recently enacted, with the Copyrights and Designs Act 2004, but updates are still needed to enhance the regime, including the ability to voluntarily register copyright ownership.
HSM IP is monitoring this news and looks forward to updating our materials when they happen.
Click here to read HSM IP’s Bermuda trade mark guide.