THE JAMAICA Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) is seeking to secure a new Design and Patent Act to replace the current Act of 1857.
Natalie Wilmot, Manager of Copyright and Related Rights at JIPO made the disclosure recently, while making a presentation on Intellectual Property Rights to educators and school administrators at the launch of the JIPO lecture series, which was held at the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica Auditorium in Kingston.
The 2001 Act, which JIPO reports has already been drafted, is modelled on the United Kingdom's Design and Patent Act, and proposes patent periods of 20 years instead of the current 14 years.
Bringing greetings on behalf of Dr. Jean Dixon, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry
of Commerce, Science and Technology, Legal Officer in the Ministry, Lilly Claire Bellamy said it was important for students to realise the importance of analysing information gleaned from the Internet, instead of just lifting the information. She added that it was crucial that teachers recognise that plagiarism was as serious an offence as copying in an examination. However, it was also important to encourage youngsters to develop their creative ideas.
Monday's lecture, with the theme 'An Introduction to Copyright and Related Rights - A Teacher's Guide', was designed, as a part of the wider drive of JIPO to foster greater respect for IPR and bring about greater understanding. The lecture also emphasised the importance of teachers understanding IPR in order to impart vital information, especially concerning copyright issues to their students. JIPO has published an Intellectual Property Activity booklet for students highlighting copyright, and related rights, trade mark and patent.
The forum took the participants through the technicalities of IPR and the details of the various components under IPR, as well as the role and function of JIPO and local Collective Management Society, Jamcopy. Other topics covered were Sensitising Students About Copyright, and An Introduction To the Social and Legal Reform Project.
In 2001 the Senate passed legislation aimed at modernising the island's intellectual property system, to bring it on par with international and regional agreements. The Intellectual Property Office Act 2001 received approval to provide for an Intellectual Property Office (JIPO), which is now responsible for overseeing the island's intellectual property laws. There is also an advisory board comprising representatives of the publishing and computer software and music industries.
