The Cayman Islands Government has in recent years modernised the country’s intellectual property laws in order to provide better protection of the rights of persons involved in creative and business endeavours. By improving copyright, trade mark, patent and design rights legislation, Government also has improved the local commerce framework.
Copyright protection has been significantly updated with the commencement of the Copyright (Cayman Islands) Order (2015), as amended. The categories of original creations that are protected in Cayman have been expanded to cover music, film, art, and other creative fields in every format – including digital.
The Trade Marks Law (2016) allows people and companies to locally register their brands and company logos. It also gives legal protection against piracy and infringement, allowing local and international companies to be confident in what they create in the Cayman Islands, while providing an incentive for local and international investors. The Patents Law (Revised) continues to allow patent holders the ability to register their rights in the UK and extend those rights to the Cayman Islands.
The Design Rights Registration Law (2016) allows design rights – the physical appearance of an industrial or handicraft item or a part of it – registered in the UK, to be extended to Cayman.