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HISTORIC BILL EMPOWERS CREATIVES

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (SKN TIMES) — In a bold and historic legislative move, the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis has passed the Industrial Designs Bill, 2025, ushering in a new era of protection and empowerment for the nation’s creative sector. This groundbreaking law—the first of its kind in the Federation—establishes a modern legal framework for safeguarding the visual design of locally created products, marking a significant milestone in the country’s intellectual property evolution.

Led by Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Honourable Garth Wilkin, the bill repeals the outdated colonial-era United Kingdom Designs (Protection) Act of 1930, which only granted protection to UK-registered designs. Now, for the first time, Kittitians and Nevisians can formally register and defend their original creations, both at home and abroad.

“This is a significant milestone in our journey to empower innovation, foster entrepreneurship, and align our legal architecture with international intellectual property norms,” AG Wilkin stated during the parliamentary debate. “It ends 95 years of inequity and creates a modern platform for Kittitians and Nevisians to protect the products they design.”

The Industrial Designs Bill applies to a broad array of visual elements such as shape, lines, color, texture, and ornamentation found in products like fashion, jewelry, furniture, packaging, and game boards. The bill introduces a dual-pathway registration system, allowing creators to register their designs either nationally via the Intellectual Property Office in Basseterre or internationally through the Hague System administered by WIPO.

Wilkin cited a powerful example of a young Kittitian designer whose visually stunning board game was referenced in a high-level meeting with WIPO Director General Daren Tang in November 2023. “Until now, that young man had no legal recourse if someone copied his work. With this Bill, he and others like him can register and defend their designs both locally and globally.”

The Attorney General emphasized that the legislation is especially pivotal for the Federation’s Orange Economy, which includes the creative and cultural industries. “These sectors represent an untapped growth engine, one that we must nurture with legal infrastructure.”

Beyond national empowerment, the Bill also aligns St. Kitts and Nevis with key international trade obligations, including those under the TRIPS Agreement and the CARIFORUM–EU Economic Partnership Agreement, and fulfills requirements for participation in the Hague Agreement, to which the Federation acceded in July 2024.

“This Bill is not just about intellectual property,” Wilkin affirmed, “it is about equity, opportunity, and building a resilient and inclusive economy. As we continue to shape a modern and inclusive economy of this Sustainable Island State we envision, we must insist to our people that their intellect, skills, and creativity are viable pathways to prosperity.”

The Industrial Designs Bill, 2025, represents a major win for designers, artisans, entrepreneurs, and the broader cultural economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis. It positions the Federation as a regional leader in intellectual property modernization and sets a precedent for future legislation that empowers local innovation.