Understanding the Business of Carnival

OECS partners with Entertainment and Sports Lawyer Carla Parris to demystify common misconceptions on copyright law

Friday, July 6, 2018 — The OECS Commission has partnered with The Business of Carnival – a video series designed to educate persons based in the Caribbean and across the world about the legal and business matters associated with the carnival industry.

Through its talk show format, host and show producer Carla Parris chats with a selection of major stakeholders in the industry such as photographers, events producers, carnival bandleaders and soca artists to explain the linkage between Intellectual Property Law and revenue generation.

"One of my main goals is to help clients to understand the value of their intellectual property rights and to be mindful of the exploitation that is rampant in the industry.

I strongly believe that the future of the Caribbean lies in its ability to innovate, to foster knowledge based economies and in strengthening the global competitiveness of our creative and sporting sectors. I am certain that these can be achieved by actively sharing information among ourselves in the region and I am thrilled to collaborate with the OECS Commission to distribute my series as we share a common goal of enhancing the region through Intellectual Property law education,” Ms. Parris said.

The series, which began airing in January 2018, seeks to demystify some of the common misconceptions concerning copyright law and the ownership of creative products such as carnival designs, costumes and events in an attempt to minimise misuse.

OECS Director General, Dr. Didacus Jules, welcomed the initiative that seeks to assist persons in navigating the legal and business aspects of the region’s entertainment industry.

“Today’s competitive global business environment, coupled with rapid dissemination and ease of access to information and ideas, necessitates an understanding of legal matters such as copyright laws.

We are excited to partner with Ms. Parris as she sheds light on this critical aspect of the entertainment industry,” Dr. Jules added.

Carla Parris is an Entertainment and Sports Lawyer, Talk Show Host, Entrepreneur & Content Creator. She operates the first boutique law practice in Trinidad and Tobago with an exclusive focus on the areas of Entertainment, Intellectual Property and Sports Law. She advises clients in traditional corporate industries on a variety of copyright and trademark concerns and provides specialist advice to persons in the music, film, animation, events management, fashion, sports and broadcast industries.