December 3, 2021
Today, the CARIFORUM Directorate and the CARIFORUM Intellectual Property and Innovation Project – CarIPI, announced the launch of a new consultation tool, Caribbean TMclass, a regional interface of TMclass, the classification tool developed by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and IP Offices of the EU Member states, and which is already being used by more than 80 IP Offices worldwide. Caribbean TMclass is multi-lingual and provides, free-of-charge, access to the lists of terms accepted as suitable to identify goods and services for the purposes of the registration of marks by participating Caribbean IP Offices.
Eight (8) CARIFORUM Intellectual Property Offices have joined and are using TMClass, while others are expected to join soon. The current members are the IP Offices of Antigua and Barbuda (ABIPCO), Belize (BELIPO), Cuba (OCPI), the Dominican Republic (ONAPI), Saint Kitts and Nevis (IPOSKN), Saint Lucia (ROCIP), Trinidad and Tobago (TTIPO), and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (CIPO).
Caribbean TMclass helps you search for, and verify, the correct classification of terms for goods or services in accordance with the criteria established by the International Classification Agreement (Nice Agreement). You can also verify whether a particular term is accepted by any of the participating Offices, and get translations of those terms into the working language of that Office.
The Head of the Intellectual Property of Saint Kitts and Nevis (IPOSKN) Jihan Williams emphasised the importance of the tool which will allow to search for and classify Goods and Services needed to apply for trademark protection. “I am grateful for the cooperation with CarIPI” said Ms Williams. “Caribbean TMclass will make the Goods and Services terms accepted by the CARIFORUM IP Offices available publicly online, for the benefit of potential trade mark applicants and examiners”.
“The classification tool is a great achievement for the Belize Intellectual Property Office and the users of our services, since the database contains more than 78 000 acceptable terms from which applicants can use to identify the goods and services they wish to seek protection for”, said the Deputy Registrar of the Belize Intellectual Property Office (BELIPO), Ms Koreen Flowers.
“In addition to modernising practices of intellectual property offices and creating a more user-friendly environment, the goal is to continue to enhance the transparency, predictability and accessibility of intellectual property in CARIFORUM and further the integration of CARIFORUM in the world economy”, said Alexis Downes-Amsterdam, Director of CARIFORUM-EU EPA Implementation Unit.
Caribbean TMclass has been developed by the Intellectual Property Offices of CARIFORUM States and the CARIFORUM Directorate, under the CARIFORUM-EU Intellectual Property and Innovation Project (CarIPI), funded by the 11th EDF and implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). You can find out more at caripi-hub.com
Background:
CarIPI is an international cooperation project funded by the European Union and implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). It was set up to strengthen the intellectual property rights environment in CARIFORUM as a means of fostering trade and investment and stimulating innovation and competitiveness in the private sector. As the ‘innovation and intellectual property rights’ component of the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) support programme, CarIPI aims to make a contribution towards achieving the commitments and expected benefits of the EPA, thus laying the ground for a sustainable long-term regional framework and cooperation in the field of intellectual property.
Since its inception in November 2019, not only has CarIPI worked towards supporting the CARIFORUM States in implementing EPA commitments and deriving its benefits, it has also facilitated the sharing of knowledge and experience on how IP systems can better respond to the needs of SMEs so that they can to do business globally while safeguarding their IP. The project will run until 30 April 2024.