The government has begun a public awareness campaign on intellectual property rights issues. As part of that effort, in November an IPR seminar was held during one of Jamaica's major trade expositions. Amended legislation pertaining to patents and trademarks is expected to be available next year. In at least one case, a major U.S. food service corporation, which operates franchises in Jamaica, has sued a local company for alleged trademark infringement over the misuse of its name and sign in Kingston. The act adheres to the principles of the Berne Convention and covers a wide range of works, including books, music, broadcasts, and computer programs and databases.
Additional amendments are underway.
Discussions are also underway on extending copyright protection in new areas such as the Internet. Piracy of broadcasts and prerecorded video cassettes for distribution in the domestic and regional market is widespread. As in other areas, enforcement is a problem due to lack of resources. There is no regulatory framework pertaining to personal satellite dishes. The governmental Broadcasting Commission has examined applications from the public for granting licenses for legal operation of cable television, and its deliberations and recommendations have recently gone to the Prime Minister for his final approval.