According to the latest statistics from the Cayman Islands Intellectual Property Office (CIIPO), more companies and corporate entities are protecting their brands in the Cayman Islands.
CIIPO received 329 trademark registration applications between January and June 2024, representing more than half of the total number of registrations for all of 2023.
To date, CIIPO has 7,900 entries in its intellectual property (IP) registry, including patents and designs, and 3,773 applications have been filed since the start of direct trademark registration in August 2017.
“These figures reflect a growing desire by international brands to seek intellectual property protection in the Cayman Islands. “Our office will continue to improve our operations and facilitate the safeguarding of intellectual property rights”, said Candace Westby, CIIPI director.
The CIIPO announced that it will focus on:
- Eliminate the requirement that applicants file their trademark registrations through a registered agent and eliminate the $200 application fee for individuals and small and micro business owners;
- Facilitate easier searches of all intellectual property registered in the Cayman Islands through the CIIPO online database and eliminate the $50 fee for simple searches;
- Achieve direct patent registration (by extending the International Patent Corporation Treaty to the Cayman Islands, with the assistance of the UK IPO);
- Further modernization of the intellectual property legislative framework to incorporate international best practices; and expand its public education campaign to promote intellectual property awareness in the community.
