Branch attends copyright workshops in St. Kitts

Robert Branch

By Linda Straker

ROBERT BRANCH of the Ministry of Legal Affairs was among legal policy advisors from the region who gathered in St. Kitts to participate in two workshops organised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, aimed at developing national copyright strategies and policies.

The first workshop opened on Monday and was titled “Developing National Strategies and Policies: New Perspectives on Copyright”. It was followed by second workshop which began on Wednesday and was titled “Representing Culture and Creative Industries”. Both workshops were organised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in co-operation with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Branch, who is a lawyer attached to the Ministry of Legal Affairs, said that the first workshop looked at new issues in the area of copyright and related rights, as well as the administration of copyright within the offices.

“The second workshop provided training on negotiation techniques to allow copyright officials to better manage the process relating to establishment of national policies,” he said. The workshops were targeted at senior officials responsible for copyright.

Ms. Sonia Cruickshank, Programme Officer at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) based in Geneva and one of the experts speaking at the workshop, spoke about the WIPO methodology for developing the national intellectual property strategy and the WIPO tool kit that is used to develop this strategy.

In making her presentation on the WIPO tool kit, Ms. Cruickshank said that the development of an
intellectual property strategy should be multi-sectoral, involving the different government ministries, universities, research and development centres and business among others.