The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has praised the Maldives for recent progress in strengthening its intellectual property legal framework. According to an announcement by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, WIPO Director General Daren Tang congratulated the government for ratifying the Maldives Intellectual Property Office Act. ([SunOnline International][1])
Key achievements noted by WIPO include:
- The ratification of the Intellectual Property Office Act, which creates a dedicated government body — the Maldives Intellectual Property Office — to oversee trademarks, copyrights, patents, industrial designs, and geographical indications.
- The recent amendment to the Copyright Act, which modernizes protections for creative works such as software, music, films, books, drawings, and songs.
- Maldives’ decision to join the Berne Convention, a historic move that grants creative works from the Maldives protection in over 180 member countries, enabling creators to have their works safeguarded abroad without needing separate registrations in each country.
WIPO also noted that the Trademark Bill currently under consideration in Parliament aims to enhance brand protection for local businesses and entrepreneurs, helping to protect them from counterfeiting and unfair market practices.
Earlier this year, WIPO facilitated training for Maldivian creatives, including a special Intellectual Property Management Clinic that helped small and medium-sized enterprises better understand how to identify, protect, and leverage their intellectual property.