A delegation from World Trade Center Georgetown (WTCG), Guyana has presented a copy of a study it commissioned earlier this year on Copyright laws in Guyana with special emphasis on trade in the creative industries sector, as it wrapped up its participation in the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) Member Forum here today.
The study was commissioned following consultations among local and international stakeholders in the field of Intellectual Property as well as reviews of copyright legislation in common law countries and current international best practices.
The study identifies both the benefits and costs of a modern, comprehensive legal framework for copyright protection in Guyana. It also identifies the significant contribution that Copyright makes to the economies of developing countries and highlights the potential impact of the Cultural and Creative Industries on exports as well as the inter-relationship between technology and the ‘orange’ economy.
Among the recommendations of the study are the preparation of a revamped and modernized Copyright Act; establishment of a Federation of Creative Industries of Guyana; establishment of a national equivalent of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP); and the promotion of stronger linkages with the tourism sector and the wider economy.
WTCG Executive Director Wesley Kirton says copies of the study will be shared with the Government of Guyana and that an international conference on the issue of the creative industries will be hosted by the local World Trade Center Georgetown during the first half of next year.
The study was undertaken by Mr. Neville Bissember, currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Law at the University of Guyana and who has served in several international arenas including the Guyana Foreign Service, the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group in Brussels and the CARICOM Secretariat in Guyana.
Mr. Bissember holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons.) Degree from the University of the West Indies, Faculty of Law, Cave Hill Campus, a Master of Laws Degree from the University of London, London School of Economics and Political Science and was a Hubert Humphrey Fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts, USA.
The presentation of a summary of the study was made by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Finance Director of WTCG Mr. Vasudeo Singh to WTCA Chairman Mr. John Drew. DDL holds the license for the World Trade Center Georgetown, Guyana.
The WTCA Forum which opened here last Sunday focused on a range of issues on global trade and development, human capacity building, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data management.
The WTCA delegation comprised Mr. Singh, Mr. Wesley Kirton and Mr. Ryon Samaroo, WTCG’s Information Technology Specialist.
