NASSAU BAHAMAS- The Bahamas is making a decisive push to modernize its outdated intellectual property regime, signing five international treaties under the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in what officials are calling a long-overdue reform.
The treaties—covering everything from trademark classification to international recognition of patents—are expected to streamline the country’s IP registration process and bring it more in line with global standards. The move comes as the government seeks to create a more innovation-friendly business environment and attract investment in the creative, tech, and manufacturing sectors.
For decades, the Bahamas Intellectual Property Office (BahIPO) operated with limited capacity. The signing of these treaties signals a major effort to reposition the office as a functional and competitive institution within the Caribbean, with clearer protections for Bahamian creators and businesses.
Registrar General Camille Gomez-Jones said the agreements give BahIPO the tools needed to improve service delivery and protect rights-holders more effectively. “These treaties serve as significant tools to arm the office with the resources necessary to provide the Bahamian public with the quality and efficient service they deserve,” she said.
The five treaties include the Budapest Treaty on the international deposit of microorganisms for patent purposes, the Nice and Vienna Agreements governing the classification of goods, services, and visual elements in trademarks, and two trademark-related protocols aimed at harmonizing administrative procedures.
BahIPO already manages trademarks, copyrights, patents, and industrial designs, but the office is expected to expand its capabilities further. The Bahamas is also preparing to join five more international IP treaties in the coming months—including the Patent Cooperation Treaty and WIPO agreements covering copyrights, industrial designs, and performers’ rights.
If ratified, the full slate of treaties would significantly raise the country’s IP standards, bringing it in line with regional peers and opening up new protections for Bahamian intellectual property abroad.
The shift is seen as key to diversifying the country’s economy and encouraging growth in high-value sectors, especially as more local entrepreneurs move into tech, digital content, and product design.
