Sri Lanka should be ashamed about delays in the implementation process and in this regard Sri Lanka is ranked 169 out of 190 countries, said BOI Chairman Upul Jayasuriya, President’s Counsel.
Speaking at AMCHAM luncheon meeting at Colombo Hilton on the subject of ‘combating counterfeits’ he said Sri Lanka has increased its rankings in most of the other areas but this still remains in gray.
He said that today legal cases in courts takes an unwanted period of time and judges too have to be held responsible for this. “They come to the Chair around 10. 30 a.m. and then wind up proceedings around 1.30,” he said. Meanwhile in a staggering disclosure Head of Legal, MAS Holdings, Rajitha Jayasuriya said that it has taken over 13 years to register a patent in Sri Lanka where overseas it lakes around one year.
Upul Jayasuriya said that this issue is being addressed now. Sri Lanka saw over 10, 380 trade mark applications and 3,800 were approved. “Yes there is already a delay in this process and it is being addressed.”
However it was pointed out that attention is being given to new applications but old applications are still not being cleared.
Jayasuriya said that together with the Customers they are addressing some of the issues with regard to counterfeit goods. “We have observed that the value of the fake good market in the world was US$ 461 billion and out of this 5% is being shipped to the European Union.
Sri Lanka too needs to update its Intellectual Property laws that were introduced in 1977 after the introduction of the open economy by the late Minister Lalith Athulatmudali.
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