Cooper hails intellectual property bills as a win for Bahamian creatives
25 Jul 2024
The work of creatives will be better protected
Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper yesterday praised a compendium of bills to introduce intellectual property legislation as a “win” for The Bahamas’ orange economy.
“These bills will be transformative, and have been called for decades,” he said in the House of Assembly as he opened debate on the bills.
“In simple terms, the work of creatives like musicians, authors, visual artists, photographers, filmmakers, playwrights, content creators, as well as innovators in research and technology and related industries will be better protected.
“We will also now have two digitally equipped stand alone companies and records registrars that will better meet the needs of the general public.
“Mr. Deputy, our cause as a member of the local community is to put in place laws that make it easier to do business and protect the work of our citizens.
“I am personally excited about the prospects of finally having a comprehensive intellectual property framework to protect the brands and ideas of the many innovative entrepreneurs and creatives within our economy.”
The compendium of bills debated yesterday included the Registrar of Companies Bill, 2024; Copyright Bill 2024; Trademark Bill 2024; Patent Bill 2024; and Registrar of Records Bill 2024.
The bills will improve copyright protections in The Bahamas, strengthen legislation to protect trademarks, and allow The Bahamas to accede to international conventions that seek to protect intellectual property. They were later passed.
“The two additional bills before us today, the Registrar of Records Bill (2024) and the Registrar of Companies Bill (2024) will facilitate the splitting of the Registrar General into a Registrar of Companies and a Registrar of Records,” Cooper said.
“This split will expedite the reforms we are working on, ensuring that there are specialized staff and resources to perform these two distinct functions. This transformation will bring about an unprecedented improvement in service delivery, setting a new standard for our country.”
The bills bring an end to inadequate protections in The Bahamas
Cooper said the bills will bring an end to the “sad reality” in which Bahamians file copyrights, patents, and trademarks in other jurisdictions because of inadequate protections in The Bahamas.
“I am so proud to be a part of this process, because today is a win for the local orange economy,” he said.
“It’s a win for creatives everywhere, for musicians and artists, a win for the business community, and it’s a win for all people in our nation.
“Our local artists and musicians have been calling for a stronger intellectual property framework for years and decades and we are now delivering this much needed change on their behalf.”