Comercial Lawyer Explains Why Jamaican Businesses Need to Protect Their Intellectual Property

Protecting your intellectual property in Jamaica is about more than registering a business name. Your brand, creative work and ideas can become some of your most valuable assets — and waiting too long to protect them can create expensive problems later.In this episode of Koined Insights, commercial lawyer Shaniel May-Brown, Partner at Myers, Fletcher & Gordon, breaks down what Jamaicans need to know about intellectual property protection, including trademarks, copyright, patents and the steps involved in protecting your work in Jamaica.We also explore why intellectual property matters as a business grows, how registered IP can contribute to the value of a company, what business owners often misunderstand about trademarks, and why protecting these assets early can make expansion, investment and even raising capital easier down the road.In this episode, we discuss:- What intellectual property actually is- The difference between trademarks, copyright and patents- How to register a trademark in Jamaica- Why registering a company does not automatically protect your trademark- Why businesses should protect their IP early- How intellectual property can increase the value of a business- Protecting your intellectual property internationally- What happens when someone infringes your IP- How AI is changing questions around intellectual property ownership- Data protection obligations for Jamaican businesses- The risks of putting customer data into AI tools- What businesses should consider before raising capital or listing on the Jamaica Stock ExchangeWhether you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, creative or professional building something of your own, this conversation will help you understand what you may need to protect — and why it’s better to think about it sooner rather than later._____FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Follow Shaniel May Brown: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanielallyson/?hl=enFollow Omari Harris: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omarijharris/?hl=enFollow Koined Insights Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koinedinsightspod/?hl=en_______________________________________________________________________ EPISODE LINKS: Digicel Business:Explore Digicel Business Cloud Solutions, including Microsoft 365 for teams that need secure, flexible tools to work from anywhere. Click here: https://bit.ly/DigicelBusinessKoined---CDCo Homes:Book a centrally located Kingston stay with CDCo Homes. Click here: https://0jpktn.s.gy/cdco-homes---Koined DigitalWant to attract more of the right clients through social media? Book a consult with Koined Digital:Click here: https://0jpktn.s.gy/koined-audit________________________________________________ABOUT THE KOINED INSIGHTS PODCASTKoined Insights Podcast is a platform dedicated to bridging the knowledge gap with insights that help people make better decisions in business and beyond. Each episode features entrepreneurs, creatives, executives, and industry leaders sharing real, practical lessons for growth.