PHILIPSBURG:---The Supervisory Board members and Director for the Bureau for Intellectual Property (BIP) on St. Maarten presented the organization's Financial Statement for 2018 to the Honorable Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication (Minister of TEATT), Mr. Stuart Johnson on August 23rd.
The 2018 theme for the BIP Financial Statement 2018 is 'Recovery and New beginnings.'BIP Director Mrs. Vincentia Rosen-Sandiford said, "The devastating after-effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017, have as expected, had a major impact on the entire region including Sint Maarten."
The year 2018 thus, was a period of recovery also for the Bureau.” She said, “Although the road to full recovery is long, together we can all contribute towards Sint Maarten's growth, and this is what the Bureau aims to do. The Bureau looks forward to being more visible in public by creating more awareness about intellectual property rights, which will aid in the further development of the country's economy."
Following the presentation, Minister Johnson commend the Bureau for its efforts made thus far to inform the public about the protection of their intellectual property rights. Last year, the Bureau hosted a well-attended IP seminar for the Sint Maarten trademark professionals, which highlighted the importance of incorporating IP as part of a business strategy.
In addition to the Financial Statement 2018, ongoing matters of the Bureau and its Supervisory Board were discussed with the Minister of TEATT. The multi-annual budget and policy plan 2020-2024 is scheduled for submission before the end of 2019, which will conclude the Bureau’s financial reporting for this year.
Johnson said, “The Financial Statement 2017 of the Bureau were approved earlier this year, and I intend to finalize the review and subsequently approve the Financial Statement 2018 within short. I look forward to the increase in awareness regarding intellectual property rights by the public and more specifically, business owners.”
Johnson also expressed his belief that the small and micro businesses, the creative industries all have valuable rights to be exercised with intellectual property. I encourage the community to visit the Bureau’s website and social media platforms for all information related to IP and the latest in IP news.
The Bureau registers trademarks and provides information about other areas of Intellectual Property, such as patents and copyright, to the public. More information regarding the Bureau and its services can be found on www.bip.sx and on social media (Facebook and LinkedIn).
