[ECCO Chairman McCarthy Marie (right) as he received a Medal of Honour from President of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Hon. Charles Angelo Savarin](Photo Credit: Charles James)

November can certainly be heralded as a month of acclaim for ECCO Chairman, McCarthy Marie, who, this month, was bestowed with a Medal of Honour from the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica and an award from the University of the West Indies Open Campus Dominica.

The citation for Marie’s Medal of Honour lauds his exemplary contribution to the Music Industry, within Dominica and the Eastern Caribbean over the past 35 years. Among his many achievements, Mr Marie is applauded for his establishment of “Mark Off” recording studio, and for his work as the Chairman of the Eastern Caribbean Collective Rights Organization (ECCO) inc.

Specific mention is made of Marie’s advocacy initiatives for greater public education on the proper administration of intellectual property and copyright laws; and his contribution in establishing a framework to ensure major music users within Dominica obtain licenses and pay copyright fees.

Ten days after his receipt of the Medal of Honour, Marie was, on November 14^th, presented with an award from UWI Open Campus Dominica for his contribution to arts and culture in Dominica. A UWI graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History, and a Master’s Degree in Agricultural economics, Marie was recognized for his tenure as an Economics lecturer from 1977 to 1979 and for regularly providing “unbiased views on social and economic condition in Dominica.” Marie was also applauded for his work with the World Intellectual Property Organization of the UN (WIPO) involving training of legal practitioners and the judiciary in the OECS and Haiti on copyright law and administration.

The Board of Directors, Staff and Members of ECCO formally congratulate Mr Marie on these great achievements.