Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--The first formal step in the establishment of the Bureau Intellectual Property (BIP) was cemented Thursday when Parliament approved the law regulating the bureau. All eleven Members of Parliament (MPs) present for the plenary session of Parliament individually voted to adopt the legislation.
The establishment of the bureau has been pending in the form of the draft legislation since the final days of the Netherlands Antilles Parliament. The draft was taken over by the St. Maarten Parliament upon the attainment of country-within-the-Dutch-Kingdom on October 10, 2010.
The meeting to approve this piece of legislation was before Parliament twice before, but the sessions had to be cancelled due to no quorum. Thursday's meeting, based on the Parliament's Rules of Order, could have taken place without the required eight MPs. This was not necessary as 11 MPs were present for the session.
BIP, once physically established, is expected to generate some income for government's coffers through the registration of patents, trademarks and other intellectual property from persons and companies from within and outside of St. Maarten.
MPs George Pantophlet (National Alliance), Cornelius de Weever (Democratic Party) and Leona Marlin-Romeo (independent) raised some issues of concern about the bureau's establishment, such as staffing and the working relationship with the Benelux bureau in Europe.
Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Ted Richardson addressed their questions prior to MPs voting on the law.
The BIP law was the first piece of new legislation passed by the second Parliament of St. Maarten. Last week, MPs approved amendments to the Stamp Ordinance that regulates Dutch passport fees.
