Caribbean IP Part 5: Barbados

ISO 3166 country code: BB.

Barbados is party to the Berne Convention, the Nairobi Treaty, the Nice Agreement, the Paris Convention, the Patent Cooperation Treaty and the WIPO Convention.

The Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office (CAIPO) administers IP rights in Barbados. It boasts a decent website explaining the various types of intellectual property available and a slideshow on trade marks in particular.

As in previous entries, WIPO's statistics do not paint a particular clear picture and I have doubts regarding their accuracy.

Barbados has a decent trade mark regime. In my experience it can take some time to obtain the filing number though as it is not issued upon application. The fees are not expensive ($75) although there is an strange $25 increase for using an agent. Publication costs vary.

Industrial designs are registered on a local basis in Barbados.

Barbados has a decent economy, a stable government and suffers little from corruption. To increase its attractiveness to foreign businesses, Madrid Protocol membership would undoubtedly be welcomed.