Sri Lanka’s Intellectual Property policies further strengthened

Sri Lanka’s intellectual property protection initiatives are set to be further strengthened for the benefit of local inventors, artistes, and authors for their creative efforts, as well as to encourage research and innovation and start new businesses.

Director General of the National Intellectual Property Office ( NIPO) Geethanjali R. Ranawaka told the Business Times that Intellectual Property ( IP) protection and enforcement when done right are among the fundamental conditions for innovation and competition.

High quality technology information and services will be provided to innovators and

entrepreneurs with the assistance of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

This programme is aimed at supporting innovators to reach their fullest potential, and to enable them to create, manage and protect their IP rights.

Twelve Technology and Innovation Support Centres (TISC) will be set up under this programme by the NIPO in collaboration with the WIPO, Ms. Ranawaka said.

The NIPO project will be implemented countrywide in universities and science research institutes in order to provide patent-related information to the patent applicants through data bases at these centres.

Around 10 more TISCs will be established in more universities, “Vidatha” centres and non-government technological institutes in 2019 and 2020.

Vidatha Resource Centres are located around the country and aims to provide rural Sri Lanka with access to technology such as email, Internet, fax and distance learning.

These centres also provide facilities such as bank loans, market information, techniques and information on enterprise development as an encouraging facet in developing rural entrepreneurship and enterprise, she revealed.

Sri Lanka has been enhancing national capacities in several areas of IP in recent years with continued cooperation and active engagement of WIPO.

The NIPO will create an enabling IP environment ( EIE) with the support of WIPO in close collaboration with science and technology institutes and universities with the aim of enhancing IP awareness in the said institutes and to provide capacity building for the relevant staff.

The Commercial Law Development Programme (CLDP) of the US Department of Commerce and NIPO collaborated project has launched an initiative to support universities, and science and technology institutes to provide technical assistance to assist technology transfer activities enabling commercialisation of inventions.

Measures are being taken to s t r e n g t h e n C o l l e c t ive Management Organisations (CMO) and policy formulation to implement an effective mechanism to protect copyright and related rights and activate payments of royalty to copyright holders and performers.

The approved draft of “Royalty Collection” Regulations was sent to the Government Printer to be published in the Government Gazette shortly, Ms. Ranawaka said.

The draft Geographical Indications ( GI) Registration Regulations was submitted to the Department of Legal Draftsman for approval, she revealed.

The NIPO has entered into WIPO- administered Treaties/ Protocols/ Agreements and accession to the Marrakesh Treaty, to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise.

An agreement has been finalised in 2016 and legislation was presented in parliament for approval towards this end, she added.