 The Cayman Islands Intellectual Property Office (CIIPO) was established in May 2016 and falls under the remit of the Ministry of Financial Services and Home Affairs.

 The Trade Mark Law came into effect on 1 August 2017 – the law allows brand owners to locally register their symbols, slogans and other elements directly in Cayman.

 Prior to 1 August, trade mark (TM) applications were filed in the UK and extended to the Cayman Islands.

 A TM is territorial and must be registered in each country that protection is required.

 The Sir Turtle used by the Department of Tourism is the first TM application to be filed directly in Cayman under the new law.

 CIIPO has already received more than 50% of the annual amount of new TM applications sent in prior to the commencement of the Trade Mark Law.

 TM applications can only be filed by CIIPO-approved registered agents.

 Accepted TM applications are posted on the IP Gazette for 60 days, the
gazette can be viewed by the public and legal challenges to registration can
be submitted within that time frame.

 The CIIPO website, www.ciipo.gov.ky, offers a substantial amount of information plus links to the: o Registered agents                                                                                                                                                   o IP Gazette

Trade Mark Application Process infographic below: