Guide to Doing Business
in Suriname

Intellectual property rights

Intellectual property rights in Suriname are protected pursuant to the following acts:

• The Copyright Act 1913 protects the maker of any work of literature, science or art.
• The Trade Name Act 1931 protects the trade name of any business.
• Decree C-81 protects trademarks.
• A new Industrial Properties Act is waiting for discussion in Parliament since 2004.

Works that are copyrighted and trademarks can be deposited with the Office Intellectual Property (Bureau Intellectuele Eigendom).

Suriname is officially a member to the following international agreements on intellectual property:

• The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (1883).
• The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (1886).
• The Hague Convention concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs (1925).
• The Nice Agreement concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the purpose of Registration of Marks (1957).
• The Strasbourg Agreement concerning the International Patent Classification (1971).