Jamaica has one of the stronger intellectual property rights (IP) protection regimes in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the International Property Rights Index, although legislative and enforcement gaps still exist. Jamaica is a member of several multilateral IP regimes and has signed bilateral agreements with the United States (see Investment Climate Statement (ICS) section on “Intellectual Property Rights” for more details). U.S. companies can register patents and trademarks through the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO), which also supports investors’ efforts to enforce their rights.
Jamaica is not listed on USTR’s 2024 Special 301 Report, an annual review by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) that identifies countries providing inadequate or ineffective intellectual property (IP) rights protection or market access to U.S. businesses. Jamaica is not listed on the 2024 Notorious Markets List Report either (see ICS for additional details). This report, an annual publication by the USTR, identifies online and physical markets engaging in or facilitating significant copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting.
In any foreign market, companies should consider several general principles for effective management of their intellectual property. For background, please link to our article on Protecting Intellectual Property and Stopfakes.gov for more resources.
IP Attaché Contact:
Cynthia C. Henderson
IP Counselor, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
U.S. Embassy México City
Paseo de la Reforma 305
Colonia Cuauhtémoc
06500 México, D.F.
Telephone: +52 55 5080-5226/ +52 55-5080-2189
E-mail: cynthia.henderson@trade.gov
For more information, contact ITA’s Office of Standards and Intellectual Property Rights (OSIP) Director, Stevan Mitchell at Stevan.Mitchell@trade.gov.
To access the Jamaica Investment Climate Statement, which includes information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, visit the U.S. Department of State Investment Climate Statement website.