SMC not endorsing major shows

By Linda Straker

Alister Bain, Chairman of the Spicemas Corporation (SMC), has confirmed that the Board of Directors of the Corporation has not endorsed major shows that are scheduled to be held during the final week of Spicemas 2014.

“We have not endorsed the ‘White in the Moonlight’ show scheduled for Progress Park and ‘Outrageous Pure White’ scheduled for Moonlight City, both of which are scheduled to take place on Carnival Saturday – the same night as Panorama. In the case of the ‘Made in Grenada’, we actually recommended that the show take place on the Tuesday night, if we are to endorse it, but from all indications the promoters have decided to cancel the event, which was scheduled to take place on Carnival Thursday night, which is night of the Queen show,” he said.

Bain said that when a show receives an endorsement from the Corporation, it is placed on the official calendar of events and the promoter or promoters get the right to use the Spicemas logo and other Spicemas associated words in advertisements and promotional activities.

“We have trademarked a number of slangs and names that go with Spicemas and Grenada Carnival. It, therefore, means that those events which have not received endorsement, cannot use those trademark signs or wording in their promotional activities,” he explained.

Grenada’s Trademark Act provides for the legal registration of words or symbols to represent a company or product. In October 2013, SMC not only trademarked its logo, but it has also trademarked a number of events, slogans and names of activities associated with Spicemas. The information was published as required in the Government gazette for a couple weeks and there were no objections received from the public.

Some of the events and words are: Spicemas, Children’s Carnival Frolic, Bacchanal Friday, Pantastic Saturday, Monday Nite Mas, Majestic Thursday, Vieux Corp, Spice Island Bacchanal, Spice Island Carnival, 473 Carnival, Wata Soca, Jab Jab and Short Knee. They are all registered under Class 41 of the World Intellectual Property Nice Classification of goods and service, which covers entertainment, sporting and cultural activities.

It, therefore, means that anyone who uses those words in any form of promotion without permission, commits an intellectual property infringement under the Trademark law and is liable to fines and imprisonment once found guilty by the court.