Sri Lanka eyes accession to Madrid Protocol is receiving support from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to complete accession to the Madrid Protocol by end of 2017 or early 2018, Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishard Bathiudeen said.
He was speaking at a seminar on protection of Intellectual Property rights of traditional knowledge and cultural expressions in association with G-15 country grouping and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The Minister further said Sri Lanka is in the process of finalizing a ‘National Policy on Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions (TK and TCEs).
The move will protect and give value to the intellectual property rights associated with Traditional Knowledge (TK), and Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCEs) unique to Sri Lanka.
“We can make significant progress in months to come that would see the final stage of the national policy. Overall IP policy’ is currently being developed for Sri Lanka in consultation with the relevant stakeholders. The drafters of the overall IP policy will soon undertake a visit to the Republic of Korea to study best practices in this regard,” he said.
The Minister also emphasised that the respective members should ensure to assess the progress made and to further optimize the 10 Point Action Plan of WIPO-Sri Lanka Cooperation launched following the visit of Dr. Gurry.
This 10 Point Action Plan was developed with the objective of upgrading the IP regime in Sri Lanka and to enable it to move beyond the traditional domains of copyright and patents into new areas including innovation and branding and to bring it in line with international standards.
“I am pleased to note that during the past three and a half years with the support of WIPO Sri Lanka has been able to reap significant tangible benefits under the 10 Point Action Plan. Under the third aspect of 10 Point Action Plan, ‘IP Hubs’ have been set up to accelerate innovation and commercialization of IP in Sri Lanka. Fourthly developing a Sri Lanka National Innovation Index with the assistance of WIPO. The progress in the fifth aspect is the continued technical assistance and capacity building from WIPO received to strengthen Sri Lanka’s National Intellectual Property Office (NIPO). The next achievement was acceding to the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind visually impaired or otherwise print disabled.”
Sri Lanka became the 24th country to accede to this treaty in October 2016. The seventh aspect is Sri Lanka receiving support from the WIPO to complete accession to the Madrid Protocol by end of 2017 or early 2018.
The next point of progress is Sri Lanka’s participation for the first time as a pilot country in a WIPO Project on “Intellectual Property Tourism and Culture” coordinated at the country level by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to promote awareness on the role of IP in the tourism-related economic activities of the country, the minister said.
“This has been ongoing since May last year. The ninth point of progress is taking steps to incorporate amendments to the National IP law to facilitate registration of “Geographical Indications” in Sri Lanka and to safeguard production and export of Ceylon Tea and Ceylon Cinnamon as well as to increase the value and competitive advantage of other Sri Lankan priority products.”
According to the Minister, the progress in the tenth point is the successful conclusion of many training sessions to advance capacity building and raise awareness in Collective Management of Rights and Copyrights and to build respect for IP and effective enforcement of IP rights. Sri Lanka’s patent and intellectual property segment has recorded increased registrations over the years, Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishard Bathudeen said.
Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen (fourth from left), Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva HE Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha and Assistant Director General of World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) Minelik Getahun and Secretary to Ministry of Industry and Commerce Chinthana Lokuhetti at the launch of pioneering G15 Colombo session on April 24 at JAIC Hilton.
0 comments: