Too late to patent pan, says Minister

LEGAL AFFAIRS Minister Camille Robinson-Regis said “it was now too late to patent the steelpan”, but that further inventions involving the steelpan were being examined to see if it can be protected by the Intellectual Properties (IP) Act.

Robinson-Regis was addressing persons at a seminar on “Intellectual Property for Journalists” at Registration House yesterday when she made this statement. Explaining that the laws of IP conferred certain IP rights to the creator or owner of any area of intellectual property, and also allowed them to benefit from their creations, the Minister said the original inventors of the pan did not patent it, thus making it too late now. Additionally, the various laws also confers on the owner of the IP work  financial rights for specific periods of time provided the conditions applicable to the specific law are met.

Stating that IP affected all aspects of daily life and was a significant tool in economic development, Robinson-Regis said it provided recourse and protection for the creative efforts of researchers, entrepreneurs and corporations. She said it was the Ministry’s duty to provide the media with information on the basic tenets of IP rights in general, as well as demonstrate the international implications of the system. She added that it would foster wider discussions on IP in Trinidad and Tobago. Intellectual property refers to expressed creations of the mind, inventions, literary and artistic works, symbols, names and images used in commerce. It consists of two main branches - copyright and industrial property.

Copyright consists of literary and artistic works including dramatic works, music, writings, sculptures, performances, broadcast and production of CD. Industrial property consists of patents which protect technological advances used in science; industrial designs and trademarks which protect symbols, names and images used in commerce; and geographical indications which distinguish one product from another. Robinson-Regis revealed that the Legal Affairs Ministry was pursuing discussions with the Ministry of Education to introduce IP information into the school’s curriculum. The  IP Office of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, in conjunction with the World IP Organisation (WIPO), and the US government will co-host a seminar to prepare teachers to implement IP into the curriculum in September.

Similar seminars are being held for the Judiciary, various Chambers of Commerce, the TTMA, Sixth Form students and other research institutions, Robinson-Regis said. She expressed hope that through these seminars there would be accurate reporting in the print and electronic media, and urged journalists to assume their role in bringing IP to the general public. She concluded by stating that  the government remained committed to ensuring that IP laws were effectively implemented.