Global copyrights body selects Sri Lanka for its next session

The global body overseeing copyright administration across the world has selected Sri Lanka for its next international training session.

“We believe this is an important development for the intellectual Property Office under my Ministry and also an honour for us,” said Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce on 24 January upon hearing of the latest development.

In November 2012, Sri Lanka’s National Intellectual Property Office (SLNIPO) successfully concluded the first ever wide-ranging stakeholder awareness-cum feedback WIPO Info Sessions on accession to Madrid and Lisbon Systems held in Sri Lanka, held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo.

The session was jointly organised by the Geneva based World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Lanka National Intellectual Property Office (NIPO) and the Department of Commerce (DoC) for Sri Lankan participants from various chambers, private sector, Government regulatory agencies including officials of NIPO and DoC, and other relevant stakeholders. Experts from WIPO, the Philippines and Hungarian offices on Lisbon and Madrid System were present at the November sessions.

The Advanced Copyright Follow Up Program aims to be a collaborative effort to ensure exchange of copyright related experiences and knowledge specially in third world countries. The next Advanced Copyright Follow Up Program is to be held in Sri Lanka, which is the third in the series, in February 2013 and will see participation of around 35 invitees from more than 20 countries.

WIPO has selected SLNIPO to facilitate the sessions of the third program. The sessions are organised by WIPO in cooperation with the Government of Sweden and the Swedish Patent and Registration Office (PRV). The previous such session held in Kenya in February 2012 attracted 20 participants from 18 countries.