Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Sri Lanka: Some Issues

Abstract

Intellectual property law is gaining increasing recognition and acceptance in many countries around the world. However, proper enforcement of intellectual property rights is one of the main issues encountered particularly by the developing countries. This paper attempts to identify how Sri Lanka has fared in enforcing intellectual property rights within its legal system.The Sri Lankan intellectual property rights regime is possessed with a comprehensive as well as an effective framework for protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights. Nevertheless, Sri Lanka has not shown serious intentions of practically implementing the said effective regime. This paper identifies that the main reasons which stand as obstacles to the proper implementation and enforcement of intellectual property rights in Sri Lanka are the common attitude of the people that the prevailing intellectual property rights regime in Sri Lanka is predominantly a Western concept and the perception of it as a system which has been forced in to the country as a matter of external influence.