Ramlogan said the action is also for selling the G-pan and for "virtually hijacking these inventions" for their private commercial gain, in breach of the law.
Copeland is a Dean of Engineering at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and was given the country's highest national award in 2008 for his contribution to steelpan development.
Ramlogan told reporters, "The enquiries and the advice have identified what appears to be a considerable prima facie case and evidence of breach of trust by Prof Brian Copeland and, I daresay, borders on outright fraud on the people of this country."
He added his enquiries have revealed that Copeland failed in his responsibility to safeguard the intellectual property rights in the steelpan and, particularly, in the G-pan and any new inventions and innovations that arise out of that.
"Instead of protecting those rights, Prof Copeland has himself, I am advised, sought to take away those rights by claiming personal ownership and seeking to personally benefit from these instruments, including profits of the PHI pan, which was invented using Government's money," Ramlogan said.
"The enquires also reveal that in breach of his position of trust, he has registered himself, Marcel Byron, Phillip Earl and Keith Maynard as the owners of the property rights in the PHI pan."
Ramlogan said he was startled about what he discovered. "How can a chairman, appointed with terms of reference to safeguard the interest of the people of this country and to act in good faith, so blatantly ignore his terms of reference and claim ownership rights?"
Ramlogan stated that the "blatant disregard for this fiduciary responsibility and trust" took place earlier when Copeland registered the Genesis (G) pan as his own. However, he subsequently had to assign it to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago."
He added that Copeland subsequently marketed the G-pan, without the permission of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, to profit from it. He said Copeland has not accounted for the proceeds of such sale "which, in my view, were illegally conducted."
He added that money belongs to the Government and people of this country and, therefore, action is coming for the recovery of those funds.
Ramlogan wondered why the previous administration, "given the publicly known relationship between Patrick Manning and Prof Brian Copeland", did not attempt to stop this.
"The enquires also reveal that in breach of his position of trust, he has registered himself, Marcel Byron, Phillip Earl and Keith Maynard as the owners of the property rights in the PHI pan."
Ramlogan said he was startled about what he discovered. "How can a chairman, appointed with terms of reference to safeguard the interest of the people of this country and to act in good faith, so blatantly ignore his terms of reference and claim ownership rights?"
Ramlogan stated that the "blatant disregard for this fiduciary responsibility and trust" took place earlier when Copeland registered the Genesis (G) pan as his own. However, he subsequently had to assign it to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago."
He added that Copeland subsequently marketed the G-pan, without the permission of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, to profit from it. He said Copeland has not accounted for the proceeds of such sale "which, in my view, were illegally conducted."
He added that money belongs to the Government and people of this country and, therefore, action is coming for the recovery of those funds.
Ramlogan wondered why the previous administration, "given the publicly known relationship between Patrick Manning and Prof Brian Copeland", did not attempt to stop this.
He said it was clear that the steelpan and the initiatives and innovations, funded by the people of this country for the benefit of this country and wondered why the government didn't put a stop "to the intellectual property rights being frittered away and being commercialised and exploited by Copeland and his associates."
He said all this "remains a mystery that perhaps only those in the former administration can answer."
Ramlogan noted that ownership of the rights was clearly stated in a draft agreement that that Copeland submitted in 2006 to the permanent secretary in the Prime Minister's Office in which Copeland acknowledged the Government had "reserved onto itself for its exclusive use and benefit in the (SIC) project, and all research and concept, design, improvement and development and further inventions, whether patentable or not, in connection with this project".
The AG said that agreement made it clear who owned the rights and Copeland "knew and fully understand that the Government's intention" was for the SIC and SIP to develop steelpan and technology and protect these property rights for the Government and people of this country.
Ramlogan noted that ownership of the rights was clearly stated in a draft agreement that that Copeland submitted in 2006 to the permanent secretary in the Prime Minister's Office in which Copeland acknowledged the Government had "reserved onto itself for its exclusive use and benefit in the (SIC) project, and all research and concept, design, improvement and development and further inventions, whether patentable or not, in connection with this project".
The AG said that agreement made it clear who owned the rights and Copeland "knew and fully understand that the Government's intention" was for the SIC and SIP to develop steelpan and technology and protect these property rights for the Government and people of this country.
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