Business Times

Sri Lankan inventors, creators seeking patents urged to be patient

Sri Lankan inventors and creators have often complained of long delays in getting their patents approved by local authorities but a US expert said this week that a 3-to-5 year wait is not too ‘alarming’.

“Even in the United States it takes three years, so the wait in Sri Lanka is not unusual. I would urge applicants not to give up hope because your patent becomes valid from the date the application is made and Sri Lankan authorities have said they are doing their best,” noted Kalpana Reddy, First Secretary for Intellectual Property (IP), South Asia based at the US Embassy in New Delhi,

Kalpana Reddy

Ms Reddy, one of seven US IP experts attached to US embassies across the world, told reporters in Colombo on Monday during a visit that she had been briefed by Sri Lankan authorities on the many raids of pirated DVDs and CDs. “There seems to be quite a few raids (by the special CID cell) that we have also seen from newspapers,” she said, adding that the next big issue the Government would be confronting is illegal digital downloads.

“It’s not a big problem now since Internet penetration is around 10% but would be in the future and IP laws may need to be amended for this purpose,” she said. Asked to respond to the dilemma of costly branded software and IT packages in low income, developing countries like Sri Lanka often beyond the reach of the middle-income consumer, she said copying, legal branded products is a criminal offence and generally many companies in this part of the world are conscious of the purchasing power of the consumer and “I would assume, price their products accordingly.” She added: “Software being too costly, I think is also a red herring.”

The US IP expert said holders of patent rights were also individually filing civil cases against violators which meant awareness of IP was improving. But she pointed out that Sri Lanka Customs had lamented that brand holders had not registered with the authorities which was causing problems (in sifting the real product from the bogus ones).

“The Government cannot go it alone; it needs the support of the patent holders and the public.”
In a recent interview with the Business Times, Dr. D.M. Karunaratna, Director General of the National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka said they had limited resources but were doing their best within the circumstances.

‘We are not purposely delaying the granting of patents to inventors, but the process of issuing patents is time consuming because it has to be 100 % perfect,” he said, in response to claims of delays. So far his office has granted 40 patents after perusing 460 applications and 902 trademarks registered out of 6,244 applications last year.

Ms Reddy also returned from a visit to the Maldives where she met officials to discuss the new IP laws. She said the country is going through a transition stage and is still in the process of drafting and implementing its IP laws. “You do see counterfeit consumer (toothpaste, cosmetics, etc) and food products as well as pirated CDs and DVDs,” she said, adding that the Government recently launched an IP Rights awareness programme to publicize the new copyright law and to promote creativity and innovation.

Top to the page  |  E-mail  |  views[1]
SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend
 
Other Business Times Articles
Some plantation firms plan exits or joint ventures
CB rules clear, but some directors want to stay on
CSE best performing bourse: Is it real?
Auto plant from Mahindra
Troubled Suntel wins ‘Best company to work for’ award
Struggle of GK depositors continues
COMMENT - Professional governance vs political governance
Urban evictions: Protecting the vulnerable in post-election Colombo
Housing for low income shanty dwellers in Colombo
RAM deems Prime Grameen Micro Finance 'B-' / Stable
New luxury train service
Sri Lankan inventors, creators seeking patents urged to be patient
ODEL supports four causes with ‘Charity Weekends’ in October
BOI reorientation to be completed soon
Training course on Capacity Development for Young Researchers in Sri Lanka-SLAAS
Sri Lanka to supply rice to the world
Dankotuwa increases focus on Asia
Dialog Enterprise strikes deal with Stafford Motors
10% of intake to SL medical faculties are foreign students
ICASL offers a 'balanced' view of companies
Two HIV cases per week, Lankan biz leaders urged to acknowledge magnitude of problem
Janashakthi launches livestock insurance scheme
United Air Services represents United Continental Holdings
CBL-Ritzbury launches awareness campaign on Sri Lankan Wetlands
EXCO of the Sunday Times Business Club (STBC)
FCCISL and ILO re-launches Kilinochchi chamber
Icy European headwinds for domestic equities
Colombo waterfront lands adjoining Beira Lake up on lease on instalment cum upfront payment
Inflation falls in Sept, exports up in July
Colombo bourse shows gains while regional markets fall
SL Cyber Security Week 2011 to kick off with Hacking Challenge
Using mobile communication to bank with Asia's poor billions
Mixed sentiments this week, some investors paranoid
Ethics in the capital market; role of corporate governance
Sri Lanka's EZY Racing to become Rs. 100 mln venture by 2015
Hybrid cars gain popularity -survey reveals
Panamera Model Range extended in Sri Lanka
On the road: DIMO’s new Jeep Grand Cherokee
KIA Motors (Lanka) to invest Rs 1 billion on service facilities
All-new Kia Picanto being marketed locally

 

 
Reproduction of articles permitted when used without any alterations to contents and a link to the source page.
© Copyright 1996 - 2011 | Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka. All Rights Reserved | Site best viewed in IE ver 8.0 @ 1024 x 768 resolution