PROTECTION OF COUNTRY NAMES: PURSUED BY CARIBBEAN COUNTRY-DELEGATE The governments of Jamaica and Barbados expressed their opposition to unauthorized use of a country name for trade purposes of someone who does not have any affiliation with the country. Such use increases the risk on the economies of developing countries, they say. This week, the two Caribbean countries referred to the World Intellectual Property Organization, making a request to render a study regarding the protection of country names. This is in context of the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT).
Last January, during SCT’s last session, Barbados and Jamaica submitted a proposal comprising of a three-phase work plan. Later on, Jamaica presented supplementary documents for the purpose of facilitating the effectuation of the earlier work plan.