The lack of full protection for intellectual property has been one of the inhibitions to Guyanese artistes and other producers of intellectual work producing such work in Guyana; if they re-locate to the metropolitan countries, they could enjoy the necessary protection. In the metropolitan countries, competition in intellectual products is far sharper than in Guyana and the Caribbean; and the product of Guyanese artistes and even researchers in such fields as medicine and technology may earn very little. However, when such work returns to Guyana, it would be recognised and some financial returns may accrue to the producers; such returns would only be assured if Guyana’s copyright laws are revised and updated.

The Guyana Trade Mark and the Patents and Design Acts date from 1973, while the Copyright Act came even earlier in 1956. The Copyright Act of 1956, in essence, copied the then current British legislation. The fines for infringing those laws were contemptuously small and did not give any protection to local artistes; on this basis alone, the laws needed to be updated. Further, since those laws were promulgated, the world has experienced its IT revolution with its computers, TV and various types of smart phones. The IT revolution has presented completely new challenges which are outside the scope of the old copyright and intellectual property protection legislation.