Officials from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) joined with representatives from Sri Lanka’s National Intellectual Property Office and the Business Software Alliance (BSA) to hold a series of workshops on Intellectual Property (IP) Law.  Employees and officials from Sri Lanka Customs and Law Officers from the Attorney General’s Department took part in the workshops.  

Participants discussed international obligations concerning IP laws, the role of Customs Officers in controlling IP rights infringements, civil litigation to counter infringements, and the use of computer evidence to track and prosecture IP offences.  Industry representatives shared their perspectives on the enforcement of IP infringements in Sri Lanka, emphasizing the need to create an environment where IP owners feel free to come forward to report IP violations. The industry representatives also expressed their appreciation for the establishment of a new IPR Unit at Sri Lanka Customs and the lauch of a new Customs Recordation System, which will allow rights holders to record their Sri Lankan intellectual property rights registrations with Sri Lanka Customs.

The workshops were the second phase in a series of ongoing Intellectual Property Rights awareness programs organized by the National Intellectual Property Office in collaboration with the USPTO and BSA to provide capacity building on IP Law and Industry Perspectives to the public sector in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Sarath Jayathilake, Director General of Sri Lanka Customs, and Mrs. Eva Wanasundera, Acting Attorney General, delivered key note addresses at the workshops. Dr D. M. Karunaratne, Director General of the National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka, Mr. Dominic Keating of USPTO and Ms. Shalini Ratwatte of the BSA also spoke to participants.