Intellectual property of the XXI century: the before and after in the Dominican Republic

Abstract

The article is a historical account of intellectual property legislation in the Dominican Republic prior to the 20th century, as well as its evolution during the 20th century and the updates undergone during the 21st century. Specifically, the article explains how Law Number 20-00 on Industrial Property and Law Number 65-00 on Copyright were the result of the adoption of the trips Agreement, as well as how the trips Agreement, along with the ratification of the DR-CAFTA (Dominican Republic-Central America FTA) have been decisive in the modernization of Dominican intellectual property legislation. The article addresses the current situation of intellectual property in the country, both in the application of the legislation by the governmental authorities as well as by the courts.