the Intellectual Property Automated System

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Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams has indicated that the Commercial Registry is working assiduously to reduce the backlog of pending Trademark Certificates.As he addressed the National Assembly during the recently concluded Budget debates, Williams said that the Commercial Registry, having moved into new premises, is confidently building its capacity to give speedy and efficient service to the Guyanese people.The Minister informed the House that the registry is 80 percent digitized. The digitization of companies, businesses and trademarks was completed in 2009.Williams then pointed to the Auditor General’s report which showed that only 39 percent of Trademark Certificates are issued annually. This obviously reflects a backlog. Williams said that the backlog has persisted in excess of 20 years, and a Trademark Certificate is sometimes issued four years after application.A Trademark Certificate shows that a trader’s goods or services are certified as meeting particular standards.Williams told the House that presently, the Intellectual Property Automated System (IPAS) JAVA is being used to reduce this backlog by enabling searches, examination and the generation of certificates for trademarks.Williams pledged that by the end of June this year, Trademark Certificates will be issued three months after application once all statutory requirements are met by the agents.He said too that patents filed since 2003 are now being advertised in the Official Gazette and subsequently certificates are issued.  Also, Companies’ Certificates of Incorporation and Business Registrations are now issued within four days of application.