Guyana Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in guyana, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Protecting Intellectual Property
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Over the past two years, Guyana has made notable strides toward improving its intellectual property (IP) legal framework, as highlighted in various media reports. While the country still operates under severely outdated IP laws—such as the Copyright Act of 1956, the Trademarks Act of 1952, and the Patents and Designs Act of 1937—there has been a clear shift toward modernization. In 2024, Guyana’s Attorney General announced that the country is aligning its legislative reform efforts with the CARICOM model IP laws, choosing to wait for finalized regional drafts covering copyright, trademarks, patents, and business registration. Notably, Guyana has initiated the consolidation and modernization of its entire body of national laws, including IP legislation, with the Attorney General confirming in early 2024 that this process is nearing completion.

In tandem, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) began offering technical assistance and training to support Guyana’s transition, helping to build local capacity and promote awareness of IP rights and enforcement. The USPTO has expressed ongoing willingness to collaborate as Guyana progresses. Political support for IP reform has also strengthened. Government leaders have publicly recognized the urgent need to update copyright laws in light of increased digital content consumption and legal challenges from local artists. Opposition members have echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need to protect creators and attract investment. Despite these encouraging steps, there remains a significant gap between current local laws and international best practices.

The lack of strong IP protection continues to pose a serious barrier for foreign investment—particularly for U.S. companies in high-value sectors such as pharmaceuticals and technology, where IP enforcement is critical. As more U.S. firms explore opportunities in Guyana’s growing market, including healthcare and innovation, the absence of modern, enforceable IP laws may deter entry due to concerns over inadequate protection. This highlights the need for stronger local and international pressure to accelerate reform and establish a secure, business-friendly IP environment. Guyana’s continued engagement with regional bodies like CARICOM and international partners such as the USPTO will be vital in ensuring its IP framework evolves to meet global standards.

Guyana is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and acceded to the Berne and Paris Conventions in 1994. However, the country has not ratified a bilateral intellectual property rights agreement with the United States, and its laws have not been amended to fully conform to the requirements of the World Trade Organization’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. In 2001, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Legal Affairs drafted TRIPS-compliant legislation, but it has not progressed beyond the draft stage.

The current IP registration and enforcement systems are weak. Registering a patent or trademark in Guyana can take six months or longer, but even with registration, enforcement mechanisms are largely ineffective. Infringement remains widespread: patent and trademark violations are common, and piracy of music, videos, software, and books is pervasive. Local television stations including the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN), have been known to pirate and rebroadcast satellite TV signals. Book piracy, especially of foreign textbooks, is rampant, with illegally photocopied materials accounting for an estimated one-third of local textbook sales. U.S. companies such as HBO have ongoing intellectual property disputes with local firms over unauthorized content use. 

U.S. companies should be aware that U.S. trademark registrations and patents do not automatically provide protection in Guyana. In any foreign market, firms should adopt a proactive IP strategy. For background information, businesses are encouraged to consult the U.S. government’s Stopfakes.gov resources and the U.S. State Department’s Investment Climate Statement, which provides additional insights on IP enforcement in Guyana.

For further guidance, U.S. businesses can contact the U.S. Department of Commerce’s regional Intellectual Property Attaché Office based in Mexico City or Rio de Janeiro. They may also reach out to the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) Office of Standards and Intellectual Property Rights (OSIP). For personalized assistance, companies may contact OSIP Director Stevan Mitchell at Stevan.Mitchell@trade.gov.


IP Attaché Contact for Guyana
Claudia C. Rojas 
Senior Legal Specialist for Intellectual Property 
U.S. Embassy Mexico City | Tel: +52 (55) 5080 2000 ext. 5222 

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