BASSETERRE, SAINT KITTS – MAY 27, 2025 – The Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs wishes to inform the general public that the Eastern Caribbean Collective Management Organisation for Music Rights (ECCO) is not authorized to operate within the jurisdiction of Saint Kitts and Nevis at this time. No other collective management organisation (CMO) is similarly authorized.
This announcement follows the enactment of the Copyright (Collective Management Organisations) Regulations, which came into effect on December 6, 2024. These Regulations create a mandatory legal requirement for all CMOs to obtain prior authorization from the Intellectual Property Office of Saint Kitts and Nevis (IPOSKN) before issuing licences or engaging in any collective rights management activity in the Federation.
Despite being notified on December 10, 2024 and extended courtesies to allow time for compliance, ECCO has failed to submit the required application for authorization. Instead, ECCO and its local agents have continued to issue licences in open defiance of the law, with such unauthorized activities continuing as recently as May 2025. The Ministry, therefore, advises all persons and businesses in Saint Kitts and Nevis to cease all engagement with ECCO or any other unlicensed CMO until such time as official authorization is granted by IPOSKN.
The Ministry and IPOSKN remain committed to facilitating a transparent and fair authorization process. The new Regulations are designed to ensure that all CMOs operate in a manner that protects the interests of rights holders, licensees, and the public. Notably, the Regulations require CMOs to file annual reports on their legal, financial, and operational status which will be accessible for public inspection. Furthermore, the Regulations mandate that the IPOSKN to create an avenue for members of the public to submit written reports about their experiences with CMOs in Saint Kitts and Nevis. These reports will be considered by the IPOSKN when determining whether authorization should be granted.
The Ministry reiterates that it has acted in good faith and extended every opportunity for ECCO to come into compliance. However, continued disregard for the law cannot be tolerated. Persons who have been issued licenses by ECCO after December 10, 2024 are invited to submit copies of these licenses to the IPOSKN at ipo@gov.kn.
For further information, or to report any unauthorized licensing activity, please contact the Intellectual Property Office of Saint Kitts and Nevis at the above email address, or 467 1978. Please note that the Office will be moving from its George Street location to the top floor of Independence House on North Independence Square Street, Basseterre, from June 2, 2025.
