PHILIPSBURG–The Bureau for Intellectual Property (BIP) on Friday officially opened its office on Cannegieter Street and launched its I-envelope service.
Following a brief presentation at the new office, President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams, BIP Director Vincentia Rosen-Sandiford and Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT) Ingrid Arrindell unveiled the BIP sign at the entrance of the office.
Rosen-Sandiford told guests that I-envelope will provide a “proof of date” of when someone conceives an idea. She said if someone comes up with an idea they can log it in the I-envelope which can serve as a tool for court cases.
Rosen-Sandiford also gave a synopsis of BIP and the service it offers. BIP has been open since November 2015. It is the official agency responsible for the implementation of the National Ordinance on Trademarks as well as providing information to the public about Intellectual Property. The office consists of a professional team, who registers trademarks.
BIP works in close cooperation with the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP) and provides an online registration system. It registers National and International trademarks for private persons, domestic and foreign companies.
During the start-up phase of BIP St. Maarten, BOIP has been working on gathering all the relevant data concerning trademark rights valid in St. Maarten. An online register has been created based on the official publications by the Curaçao BIP between January 2001 and July 2015.
Following the official opening at the Cannegieter Street office, guests walked over to the Holland House Beach Hotel where another ceremony and reception were held.
At Holland House, BOIP Director Edmund Simon said the setup of the organisation as it is today allows persons to work in the field of intellectual property. He said “a key work” in BIP is cooperation. “Within our organisation we unite different cultures and backgrounds of our employees. We are working with diverging legal systems and we play more and more active roles in EU cooperation programmes. EU legislation is getting more and more important to us in our daily life.”
The establishment of BIP plays an important role in the further development of the St. Maarten economy. The Bureau is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and works closely with BOIP to better assist its clients with national and international trademark registrations.
The Supervisory Board of the Bureau consists of three members: Chairperson M. Hoeve, Vice-Chairperson G. Vlaun and Member A. Bell.
Also speaking at the ceremony at Holland House were Hoeve, Arrindell and Director of BIP Curaçao G. Maduro.
Source: The Daily Herald Bureau for Intellectual Property opens office, launches I-envelope
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