Intellectual Property Office (IPO)


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In Trinidad and Tobago Intellectual Property Rights are covered via local legislation concomitant with participation in the relevant international conventions. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) was established on December 1, 1997 through the Patents Act, 1997, Chap. 82:76.
The activities in the Industrial Property areas of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) are determined mainly by the administration of laws concerning trade marks, patents (including utility certificates), industrial designs, geographical indications, layout designs (topographies) of integrated circuits and the protection of new varieties of plants (plant breeders rights).
Other activities in industrial property revolve around public education, staff training and outreach to specialized groups such as legal practitioners, researchers and industries.
The IPO has taken the initiative to establish a Start-UP IP Academy with technical assistance from WIPO. It is implementing an IP Clinic in partnership with the Caribbean Industrial Development Institute (CARIRI).