Friday, for the second year, the Haitian Copyright Bureau (BHDA) proceeded at an official ceremony at the premises of the Ministry of Culture, to the presentation of two scholarships of 100,000 gourdes, as a reward this year to two students graduating from the Faculty of Law and Economics of the UEH. They are Karene Surin (scholarship from the Barbancourt Foundation) and Rachelle Mathieu (scholarship from the Foundation Deschamps).

In her thesis, Karlen Surin addresses the question of the existence in the Haitian legal system, of a legal framework allowing an artist or writer Haitian victim of the violation of its copyright, to seize the competent courts in order to obtain justice.

Rachelle Mathieu deals with the subject of the protection of artistic and intellectual property of the iron cut in Haiti to the village of Noailles.

Both recipient [selected by competition], thanked BHDA, whose she welcome the commitment in the fight for the respect of copyright in Haiti.

Excerpts of speech of Monique Rocourt, Minister of Culture

"[...] The protection of copyright involves the ability for an author or artist to exercise and defend their rights. How, if lawyers specializing in the field are scarce ? Can we leave our authors and artists disarmed ? [...] we can not accept that the creators, who are ambassadors of our culture are the orphans of Law. We also can not let helpless these defenders of culture [...]

That is why this morning, once again, we put two new stones in the construction of the more just society that we all are calling for [...] We offer two scholarships to two young jurists who write their memories on the literary and artistic property, including its economic missions and of protection. These two scholarships, each of hundred thousand gourdes also include coaching by specialists of Copyright, for our two jurists for the duration of writing of their memoirs.

[...] starting next year, we will increase the number of scholarships so that students from other faculties of law, public and private, of the country can benefit of them, so that in the coming years, there are more specialist lawyers in this future branch that is Intellectual Property [...]"

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre