Today (29 March 2019) was supposed to be the day on which the United Kingdom was due to leave the European Union, following the result of the 2016 referendum, and the triggering of Article 50 on 29 March 2017.   We are regularly asked what effect Brexit will have on trade marks in the Channel Islands. The answer, at least in the foreseeable future, is none. Jersey will continue to operate a system of re-registration of granted national UK trade marks, and whilst EU trade marks, as well as...

A new Design Rights Bill 2019 was published in the Cayman Islands on 19th February 2019, which will replace the current Design Rights Registration Law 2016 once it comes into force. It is not yet known when this will occur.   The existing legislation gives owners of original UK registered designs and registered European designs the opportunity to extend their rights to the Cayman Islands. On the other hand, the new Bill will allow for the registration of design rights in the Cayman...

We have just learnt that a new Patents Act and new Regulations have been passed in Antigua. The new Act (“The Patents Bill 2018”) was enacted on 8th November 2018 and came into force on 22nd November 2018. This new legislation finally paves the way for the processing of patent matters which, until now, have been held in abeyance in Antigua pending the introduction of the relevant regulations regarding examination, publication and grant of patents and the collection of patent annuities.  ...