In 2016 the Cayman Islands Government passed new laws for trade marks and design rights registration and the CIIPO was established to administer all intellectual property rights. The Patents Law and the Copyright Law were also updated, which provide modern protection or all of Cayman’s creative people. These important changes allows for trade mark applications to be made directly with CIIPO without having to first register in the UK or the EU.

Since the implementation of the new laws, more than 1,000 trade mark applications have been filed under the new regime with CIIPO having already approved or registered around 75% of the applications for registration. At the time of printing, according to the CIIPO website, there are currently 36 Patent and Trade Mark Agents licensed to do business before CIIPO.

CIIPO is a unit of the General Registry under the Cayman Islands Government’s Ministry of Financial Services and Commerce (MFSC). The current laws aim to bring the level of copyright protection available in the Cayman Islands up to par with international standards.

CIIPO handles registration of Trade marks, Patents and Copy right.