The Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office (CAIPO) is a Barbadian governmental agency in charge of various aspects of industrial property right affairs including: patents, trademarks, and industrial designs. It is a division of the Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science & Technology, formerly known as the Ministry of Industry & International Business. Around 2010 Barbados was recognised for its ranking as one of the top countries where foreign patents are legally based. CAIPO's office was located on Belmont Road, and moved in March 2013 to Baobab Towers, in Warrens, Saint Michael.
In 2021 the body opened its corporate registry for online registration.
National legislation Corporate affairs in Barbados are covered by the following Acts: Companies Act Registration of Business Names Act Bills of Sale Act Small Business Development Act Notarial acts Public Documents Act Pharmacy Act Limited Partnerships Act Registration of Newspapers Act Trade Unions Act
Intellectual property in Barbados are covered by the following Acts: Trademarks Act Patents Act Industrial Designs Act
At the international level, the department works very closely with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and its subregional unit known as the Cooperation for Development Bureau for Latin American and Caribbean.
Treaties and conventions Barbados is a signatory to the following copyright and intellectual property treaties and conventions influencing local laws:
Treaty or ConventionYear it was establishedLocally ratified into lawBerne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works1886ratified: 30 July 1983WIPO-Administered Treaties. Contracting Parties/Signatories Berne Convention.Geneva Convention for the Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication1971ratified: July 29, 1983Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents - (the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents)1961Succession for Barbados 30 November 1966. Barbados maintains that since the United Kingdom entered into the agreement on 24 February 1965 that it is compulsory for Barbados which didn't become independent until 1966.Nice Agreement concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of Registration of Marks1967ratified: 12 March 1985Nairobi Treaty (Olympic Symbol)ratified: 28 February 1986Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property1883 (as revised in 1967)ratified: 12 March 1985Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)1970ratified: 12 March 1985PCT TreatyRome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organisations1961ratified: 18 September 1983Universal Copyright Convention (UCC-Geneva)1952ascension: 3 March 1983Universal Copyright Convention, with Appendix Declaration relating to Article XVII and Resolution concerning Article XI. Geneva, 6 September 1952Universal Copyright Convention (UCC-Paris)(as revised in 1971)ascension: 3 March 1983Universal Copyright Convention, as revised on 24 July 1971Membership to the WIPOWTO-TRIPS Agreement on the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property1994ratified: 1 January 1995
Currently Barbados has yet to finalise or is absent from: Treaty or ConventionYear it was establishedNoteBrussels Convention Relating to the Distribution of Programme–Carrying Signals Transmitted by Satellite1974Some provisions within the United States–Caribbean Basin Initiative already have recourse for United States-based satellite providers to be compensated through other means within that act.Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure (Budapest)1977Patent Law Treaty (PLT)2000WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT)1996WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT)1996
Criticisms In 2021 CAIPO faced criticism by some members of the public for the pace the body conducts its business.
Domain names and trademarks Additionally, CAIPO is entrusted with the handling of legal issues pertaining to Barbados' .bb ccTLD and second-level domains including: .co.bb, .com.bb, .net.bb, .org.bb, .info.bb, .store.bb, .tv.bb, .biz.bb .
See also Patent office List of parties to international copyright treaties List of parties to international patent treaties List of parties to international related rights treaties List of company registers
References
External links
Public search for current CAIPO trademarks registered