Dr Natalie Corthesy celebrated her official book launch at UWI Faculty of Law Mona.
In October 2023 Dr Natalie Corthésy (Commercial Law PhD, 2019) officially launched her book which focuses on her pioneering research in international intellectual property protection titled: Balancing Nation brands and Geographic Commons in a Competitive Global Marketplace.
Dr. Natalie Corthésy’s pioneering research in her book posits that increased international intellectual property (IP) protection of country names is not only justifiable but necessary to safeguard national competitive identities. Although some protection is afforded under the multilateral IP legal framework, there is growing concern that this framework currently provides insufficient defence against unauthorized, unfair and misleading commercial use of country names, referred to as “argotisation”, a nomenclature coined by Corthésy. Switzerland and Jamaica are used as case studies. Both nation states have country names which are globally recognised and which are used to co-brand products in trade. Corthésy’s research reveals a strong correlation between a country’s approach to nation branding and its economic development agenda, and an apparent nexus between the distinctiveness of country names, and their pervasive use in branding. The findings in Dr Corthésy book suggest that a shift away from treating country names as geographic commons is warranted and of particular economic significance for small States and countries with emerging economies.
Dr Natalie Corthésy holds a PhD from CCLS Queen Mary University of London and is qualified to practice as an attorney-at-law in Jamaica. She is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Dean of Outreach and Continuing Legal Education at The Faculty of Law, The University of the West Indies Mona, Jamaica.
In 2022, she received the Principal’s Research Day Award for the research project with the Greatest Business / Economic Development Impact 2022 for Country Name Designation and International IP Protection of National Competitive Identities, and also in 2019 for International Intellectual Property Protection of Country Names - Balancing Nation Brands and Geographic Commons in a Competitive Marketplace. She is the recipient of the 2017 International Trademark Association's Ladas Memorial Award for her paper Trademarks, Country Names and Misappropriation of National Identity. She received an award from the Queen Mary University of London’s Post Graduate Research Fund, UK. In 2021, Natalie was co-investigator on a joint City University London – UWI Mona research project team, funded by the UK Higher Education Innovation Fund, studying Jamaican Geographical Indications. She is co-author of Commonwealth Caribbean Tort Law 6th edn 2023 and Commonwealth Caribbean Employment and Labour Law 2014 (Taylor Francis).
Prior to academia, Natalie served in Jamaica’s civil service for 10 years as a Legal Officer at Ministry of Labour, Director of Copyright and Related Rights at the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office, and Director of Entertainment Policy at the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Dr. Corthésy is affiliated with the Association for Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property (ATRIP) She has served as a Member of the Advisory Board of the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office and the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission and is a member of the national Technical Working Group convened by Jamaica’s Prime Minister to conceptualise and implement a nation strategy for Brand Jamaica. She also heads the CCLS Alumni Caribbean Chapter.
To connect with Dr Natalie G. S. Corthésy, please see her LinkedIn profile Natalie G. S. Corthésy| LinkedIn
Find out more about Dr Natalie G. S. Corthésy at nataliecorthesy.com