THE GOVERNMENT has recently established an Intellectual Property Office, partly in fulfilment of international treaty obligations with the World Trade Organisation. The Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) has been moving aggressively against local piracy of intellectual property, particularly in the area of music. Some 70 persons have been charged with music piracy under Section 46 of the Copyright Act and one vendor, earlier this month, has been charged $200,000 or six months in prison for breaches of the intellectual property law.
Piracy of creative works, trademarks and other intellectual property is a huge international problem, costing rights owners billions of dollars. The law protects owners' rights in creative works and brands as a critical means of encouraging innovation and inventiveness. The intellectual property created is as real as tangible assets. It is widely acknowledged that countries with strong copyright and patent laws build stronger economies as creators are secure in enjoying the fruits of their intellectual endeavours.
As the world moves in the direction of free trade under WTO rules all countries are expected to strengthen their capacity to protect intellectual property rights. Piracy is the biggest problem authors of creative works face in the copyright world, the manager of copyright at JIPO says. Last Thursday, the Intellectual Property Unit in the Organized Crime Investigation Unit of the Police in a collaborative effort with JIPO destroyed thousands of copies of pirated music material at the Riverton City landfill. These were CDs, audio and video tapes and DVDs confiscated in the course of successful prosecutions. The public destruction has not only gotten rid of the confiscated material but is sending a strong signal that the long arm of the law is out to get the pirates of intellectual property. On a more positive note, JIPO has been seeking to organise the authors of creative works to be better able to collect fees from users of their works. The Office has been also seeking to raise public awareness of intellectual property rights and the seriousness of infringing those rights.
A more secure environment for intellectual property rights can only be good for creative output and bring greater benefits to those whose intellectual output drives economies now more than ever before. Beyond any international obligations, we need to offer the full protection of the law to intellectual property rights as to other categories of property rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
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