Cabinet nod for SL to accede to Madrid Protocol

• Move will streamline process of international registration of trade and services marks
•  Madrid system provides exporters with reliable, convenient and cost-effective way to protect trademarks in series of jurisdictions
• National Intellectual Property Act of 2003 to be amended

Cabinet has given approval to a proposal for Sri Lanka to enter the Madrid Protocol governed by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in order to streamline the process of international registration of trade and services marks.

Presently, no legal provision exists for those who submit their applications to the National Intellectual Property Office to register their trademark or service mark to obtain international registration directly through the office in Sri Lanka. Instead they have to submit applications separately through the Intellectual Property Agents operating in each county.

Under these circumstances, it has been proposed that Sri Lanka should seek access to the Madrid Protocol administered by WIPO as the Madrid system provides exporters with a reliable, convenient and cost-effective way to protect trademarks in a series of jurisdictions.

The Cabinet proposal by Minister of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation Bandula Gunawardena to accede to the Madrid Protocol was approved by Cabinet on Wednesday (12 February). The necessary amendments to the National Intellectual Property Act of 2003 will also be made in this regard.

The Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks is governed by the Madrid Agreement and the Protocol relating to that Agreement. The system makes it possible to protect a mark in a large number of countries by obtaining an international registration that has effect in each of the designated contracting parties.