From left): Cayman Islands Intellectual Property Office’s Intellectual Property Examiner Carolee Nunez, and the Ministry of Financial Services and Commerce’s Head of Commerce Policy Suzette Ebanks and Senior Policy Analyst Alicia Reid, at the International Trademark Association Annual Meeting at the Georgia World Congress Centre in Atlanta, Georgia

Grand Cayman, 3 June 2024 – Government representatives were among 10,000 public and private sector representatives at this year’s International Trademark Association (INTA) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, to discuss joint approaches to shared intellectual property (IP) issues.

The Ministry of Financial Services and Commerce’s Head of Commerce Policy Suzette Ebanks and Senior Policy Analyst Alicia Reid, along with the Cayman Islands Intellectual Property Office’s (CIIPO) IP Examiner Carolee Nunez, attended INTA’s 146th annual meeting.

Government delegates joined local IP agents, as well as public and private sector professionals from the US, Singapore, India, Mexico, Germany, South Africa and other countries at the conference, which took place from 18-22 May at the Georgia World Congress Centre.

The team took part in workshops, roundtables and meetings on anti-counterfeiting; infringement and enforcement measures; the application of technology; marketing and communication; as well as legislative updates from various jurisdictions. They were also guests at meetings organised by regional colleagues, including members of the Intellectual Property Caribbean Association (IPCA), which will meet next in the Cayman Islands this November.

Ms Ebanks said a common theme was the importance of international cooperation to tackle shared concerns.

“Some of the best-attended workshops addressed the role that collaboration plays in protecting against counterfeiting. Another key theme was the need for an industry-wide strategic approach to artificial intelligence or AI”, she noted.

CIIPO Director Candace Westby, who attended last year’s meeting in Singapore, explained that lessons learned from the conference will inform plans to update and enhance intellectual property legislation beginning with the Trade Marks Act and Trade Marks Regulations later this year.

In keeping with INTA’s emphasis on routine and effective communications with all stakeholders, including future IP professionals, Ms Westby said CIIPO will soon launch a year-round campaign that highlights the important role that the profession plays in protecting consumers from counterfeit products, in ensuring the sustainability of cultural and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) enterprises and in the creation of viable jobs.

The local focus on counterfeiting will continue at a workshop that CIIPO has planned for this month. The session will update participants on the latest tools and techniques used to identify counterfeit goods and their supply chains.