Earlier this month on August 1 marked one year since The Trade Marks Law, 2016 was implemented in the Cayman Islands.

This law has made it easier for businesses and brand owners to register their trade marks which may comprise of symbols, slogans, logos and other elements directly in the Cayman Islands. Previously all applications had to go through the United Kingdom or European Union before they could be extended to the Cayman Islands.

HSM IP, a specialist intellectually property law practice helped to orchestrate this revised law and is celebrating the anniversary by featuring its successes and some of the companies that have filed with them within that period.

From August 2017 to June 2018, HSM IP has remained the industry leader in Cayman and has acted as a registered agent in over 50% of all transactions according to Cayman's Intellectual Property Gazette.

"We are passionate about protecting people's innovations and are proud to have a wealth of intellectual property experience, particularly in the Caribbean," shares HSM Managing Partner, Huw Moses OBE. 

Local entrepreneur Jack Copper owns NeuralStudio, a technology company at the forefront of automated machine learning. He applied for a trade mark for his company in the Cayman Islands around the time this law was effected through HSM IP and knew the value it beheld since many companies were attempting to gain market presence. "From the outset, it was absolutely critical that the brand which represents NeuralStudio's best-of-breed technology be fully protected, both in the Cayman Islands, where we are based, as well as in global markets where most of our customers reside," says Copper. "Having this protection helps to ensure that our clients are getting the correct, reputable service."

The Cayman Islands Tourism Association has also shared how straightforward it was to register their logo with HSM IP as their registered agent. "HSM IP made processing our trade marks quite effortless," says Tiffany Ebanks, Executive Director. "There are numerous categories of trade marks and they made sure we were aware of the different options and guided us through the process, as well as made suggestions." 

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.