The Findings of the Global Competitiveness Index 2009–2010

The issues of Law and Policy which affect the Caribbean go far beyond the widespread conception of a sand and sea paradise. There are real,serious and complex issues in the policy making and jurisprudence which affect the construction of Caribbean life. This book is a collection of essays which discuss various aspects of Caribbean law and policy,ranging from issues in Intellectual Property to climate change, Consumer and Competition law, Private International law and Alternative Dispute Resolution. It discusses practical issues and examples, and proposes solutions to some of the pressing issues in Caribbean law..

In modern times the internet has created a whole new world in which people conduct business,entertain themselves and live virtual lives. The means of regulating these activities fall within the ambit of the already established legal framework for everyday non-virtual lives, and therein lies the anomaly.Intellectual property law and the regulation of Intellectual property rights have become a major issue in the context of the internet and is still in the developmental stages as the law grapples with the continuous developments in the area.This book looks at the issues of copying and copyright within the context of the internet. The EU Directives, Regulations and Laws which deal with these issues are examined for their applicability and effectiveness in dealing with the problem of copyright infringement. The American and English systems are also examined for their approach to these issues, and conclusions and recommendations are made based on the findings.

Reviewing the data for youth reveals, in keeping with previous research (Downes, 2006; Parra-Torrado, 2014), that youth unemployment rates in the Caribbean are among the highest in the world. Reviewing the data for eight of the Caribbean countries shows that only in Trinidad and Tobago did youth unemployment rates fall below the world average, and this was during the period 2006 to 2010; between 1991 and 2012, all other Caribbean countries had a youth unemployment rate above the world average.

The year 2015 has dawned as usual with the fanfare of greater things to come. Caribbean projects are in the pipeline, along with activities to enhance competitiveness and many gallant efforts by well-meaning non-governmental and international organizations. The research has shown, however, that without the impetus of effort that originates from amongst the local innovators, there is no real change and no great advancement.

The creation of the Caribbean Patent Convention under the auspices of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is a long awaited and most welcome development towards the harmonization of intellectual property laws in the region. 

In January 2010, this column first proposed the idea of the CCJ as a court of first instance for intellectual property (IP) matters. In the years following its publication, there has been a little movement in the area of IP in the Caribbean, including the common usage of the term Caribbean Intellectual Property, which was also introduced through this column.

This article addressesthe issue of Caribbean Intellectual Property law and policy, and looks at the findings of a recent report titled “The changing face of innovation”, published in the last quarter of 2011 by the World Intellectual Property Organization on the development of Intellectual Property Rights and innovation trends worldwide. In this article, the burgeoning of IP rights and technological innovations is discussed, and the question of the place of the Caribbean region in this new scheme is courted. It examines the historical, socio-political and economic environment in which Caricom operates and proposes the development of a legal and regulatory framework forIntellectual Property that will encourage technological innovations and strengthen the workings of and confidence in the Caribbean Intellectual Property rights, policies and regulation.