Caribbean and Americas Intellectual Property Organization

In light of President Irfaan Ali’s statement in the Kaieteur News on May 26th regarding the urgent modernization of Guyana’s intellectual property legislative framework, I prepared this Op Ed which is published in the Village Voice Guyana new outlet.

While legislative reform is a vital step, this piece argues that simply importing legacy Western frameworks will leave Guyana vulnerable to a modern structural challenge I define as Inniss Data Nullius—where sovereign regional data and digital assets are extracted by global platforms without local recourse or compensation. The article outlines how Guyana can transition from a posture of mere international compliance to true digital sovereignty by treating IP as an active governance utility.

This analysis builds directly upon my long-standing research in this area, including my chapter, "Copyright in International Intellectual Property Law—implications for Guyana and the Caribbean," published by the University of the French West Indies, Guadeloupe (L'harmonisation du droit des affaires dans la Caraïbe, 2016).

https://villagevoicenews.com/2026/05/28/the-mirage-of-intellectual-property-reform-why-guyana-needs-governance-architecture-not-merely-laws/

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