Intellectual Property Act, No.

36 of 2003 19

16. (1) The owner of a copyright may - Assignment or

licence of
author’s rights.
(a) grant licence to a physical person or legal entity to
carry out all or any of the acts relating to the
economic rights referred to in section 9 ;

(b) assign or transfer in whole or any part of the

economic rights referred to in section 9.

(2) Any assignment or transfer of an economic right,

and any licence to do such an act subject to authorization by
the owner of the copyright, shall be in writing signed by the
assignor and the assignee, transferor and the transferee or
by the licensor and the licensee, as the case may be.

(3) An assignment or transfer in whole or in part of any

economic right, or a licence to do an act subject to
authorization by the owner of copyright, shall not include or
be deemed to include the assignment or transfer or licence
in respect of any other rights not expressly referred to therein.

CHAPTER I I

RELATED RIGHTS

[PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF PERFORMERS, PRODUCERS OF SOUND

RECORDING AND BROADCASTING ORGANIZATION]

17. (1) Subject to the provisions of section 21, a Rights requiring

performer shall have exclusive right to carry out or to authorization of
performers.
authorize any of the following acts :—

(a) the broadcasting or other communication to the

public of his performance or a substantial part
thereof, except where the broadcasting, or the other
communication—

(i) is made from a fixation of the performance,

other than a fixation made in terms of section
21 ; or
 20 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003

(ii) is a re-broadcasting, made or authorized by

the organisation initially broadcasting the
performance or substantial part thereof ;

(b) the fixation of his unfixed performance or

substantial part thereof ;

(c) the reproduction of a fixation of his performance

or substantial part thereof.

(2) Once the performer has authorized the incorporation

of his performance in a audiovisual fixation, the provisions
of subsection (1) shall have no further application.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to deprive

performers of the right to enter into contracts in respect of
their performances on terms and conditions more favourable
to them.

(4) The rights under this section shall be protected from

the moment the performance takes place until the end of
the fiftieth calendar year following the year in which the
performance takes place.

Rights of 18. (1) Subject to the provisions of section 21, a

producers of producer of a sound recording shall have the exclusive right
sound recordings. to carry out or to authorise any of the following acts :—

(a) the direct or indirect reproduction of the sound

recording or substantial part thereof ;

(b) the importation of copies of the sound recording or

a substantial part thereof even where such imported
copies were made with the authorisation of the
producer ;

(c) the adaptation or other transformation of the sound

recording or a substantial part thereof ;

(d) the rental of a copy of the sound recording or a

substantial part thereof, irrespective of the
ownership of the copy rented ;
 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003 21

(e) the sale or offering for sale to the public of the

original or copies of the sound recording or
substantial part thereof.

(2) The rights under subsection (1) of this section shall

be protected from the date of publication of the sound
recording until the end of the fiftieth calendar year following
the year of publication, or if the sound recording has not
been published, from the date of fixation of the sound
recording until the end of fiftieth calendar year following
the year of fixation.

19. (1) where a sound recording published for commercial Equitable

purposes, or a reproduction of such sound recording, is used remuneration for
use of sound
directly for broadcasting or other form of communication to recordings.
the public, or is publicly performed, a single equitable
remuneration for the performer or performers and the producer
of the sound recording shall be paid by the user.

(2) Unless otherwise agreed between the performer or

the producer, half of the sum received by the producer under
subsection (1) shall be paid by the producer to any performer.

(3) The right to an equitable remuneration under this

section shall subsist from the date of publication of the sound
recording until the end of the fiftieth calendar year following
the year of publication, or if the sound recording has not
been published, from the date of fixation of the sound
recording until the end of the fiftieth calendar year following
the year of fixation.

20. (1) Subject to the provisions of section 21, a Rights of

broadcasting organisation shall have the exclusive right to broadcasting
carry out or to authorize any of followings acts :— organisation.

(a) the re-broadcasting of its broadcast or a substantial

part thereof ;

(b) the communication to the public of its broadcast or

a substantial part thereof ;
 22 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003

(c) the fixation of its broadcast or a substantial part

thereof ;

(d) the reproduction of a fixation of its broadcast or a

substantial part thereof.

(2) The rights under this section shall be protected from

the moment when the broadcasting takes place until the end
of the fiftieth calender year following the year in which
broadcast takes place.

Limitations on 21. Sections 17, 18, 19 and 20 shall not apply where
protection. the acts referred to in those sections are related to—

(a) the use by a physical person exclusively for his own

personal purposes ;

(b) using short excerpts for reporting current events to

the extent justified by the purpose of providing
current information ;

(c) use solely for the purpose of face to face teaching

activities or for scientific research ;

(d) cases where, under copyright, a work can be used

without the authorization of the owner of copyright.

Enforcement of 22. (1) Any person who infringes or is about to infringe

rights and any of the rights protected under this Part may be prohibited
disputes
resolution. from doing so by way of an injunction and be liable to
damages. The owner of such rights is entitled to seek such
other remedy as the court may deem fit.

(2) (a) The Court shall have power and jurisdiction—

(i) to grant such injunctions to prohibit the

commission of any act of, infringement or
the continued commission of such acts of
infringment of any right protected under
this Part ;
 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003 23

(ii) to order the impounding of copies of works

or sound recordings suspected of being made
sold, rented or imported without the
authorization of the owner of any right
protected under this Part where the making,
selling, renting or importation of copies is
subject to such authorization, as well as the
impounding of the packaging of, the
implements that could be used for the
making of, and the documents, accounts or
business papers, referring to, such copies.
(b) The Court shall in addition have the jurisdiction to
order the payment by the infringer, of damages for the loss
suffered as a consequence of the act of infringement, as well
as the payment of expenses caused by the infringement,
including legal costs. The amount of damages shall be fixed
taking into account inter alia, the importance of the material
and moral prejudice suffered by the owner of the right, as
well as the importance of the infringer’s profits attributable
to the infringement. Where the infringer did not know or
had no reasonable cause to know that he or it was engaged
in infringing activity, the court may limit damages to the
profits of the infringer attributable to the infringement or to
pre established damages.

(c) The Court shall have the authority to order the

destruction or other reasonable manner of disposing of copies
made in infringement of any right protected under this Part
if available and their packaging outside the channels of
commerce in such a manner as would avoid harm to the
owner of the rights, unless he requests otherwise. The
provisions of this section shall not be applicable to copies
and their packaging which were acquired by a third party in
good faith.

(d) Where there is a danger that implements may be used

to commit or continue to commit acts of infringement, the
Court shall, whenever and to the extent that it is reasonable,
order their destruction or other reasonable manner of disposing
of the same outside the channels of commerce in such a manner
as to minimize the risks of further infringements, including
surrender to the owner of the rights.
 24 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003

(e) Where there is a danger that acts of infringement

may be continued, the court shall make such orders as may
be necessary prevent such acts being committed.

(f) The provisions of Chapter XXXV of this Act relating

to infringement and remedies shall apply, mutatis mutandis,
to rights protected under this Part.

(g) Any person who infringes or attempts to infringe

any of the rights protected under this Part shall be guilty of
an offence and on conviction be liable to any penalty as
provided for in Chapters XXXVIII and XLI of the Act.

(3) (a) The Director-General may on an application

being made in the prescribed form and manner by a person
aggrieved by any of his rights under this Part being infringed
or in any other manner affected, and after such inquiry as he
thinks fit determine any question that may be necessary or
expedient to determine in connection with such application
and such decision shall be binding on the parties subject to
the provisions of paragraph (b) of this subsection.

(b) Any person aggrieved by the decision of the

Director-General may make an appeal to the Court and unless
the Court issues an interim order staying the operation of
the decision of the Director-General, such decision shall
continue to be in force until the matter is decided by the
Court.

Measures, 23. (1) The following acts shall be considered unlawful

remedies and and in the application of section 22 shall be assimilated to
sanctions against
infringements of the rights of the owner of copyright :—
abuses in respect
of technical
means. (i) the manufacture or importation for sale or rental of
any device or means specifically designed or
adapted to circumvent any device or means intended
to prevent or restrict reproduction of a work or to
impair the quality of copies made (the latter device
or means hereinafter referred to as “copy protection
or copy management device or means”) ;
 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003 25

(ii) the manufacture or importation for sale or rental of

any device or means that is susceptible to enable or
assist the reception of an encrypted program, which
is broadcast or otherwise communicated to the
public, including reception by satellite, by those
who are not entitled to receive the program.

(2) In the application of section 22, any illicit device

and means mentioned in subsection (1) of this section shall
be assimilated to infringing copies of works.

(3) The owner of copyright in a work shall also be

entitled to the damages for infringement provided for in
section 22 where—

(a) authorized copies of the work have been made and

offered for sale or rental in an electronic form
combined with a copy protection or copy
management device or means, and a device or
means specifically designed or adapted to
circumvent the said device or means, made or
imported for sale or rental ;

(b) the work is aurhorised for inclusion in an encrypted

program, broadcast or otherwise communicated to
the public, including by satellite, and a device or
means enabling or assisting the reception of the
program by those who are not entitled to receive
the program made or imported, for sale or rental.

24. (1) Subject to the provision of subection (4) of this Protection of

section expressions of folklore shall be protected against— expressions of
folklore and
damages.
(a) reproduction ;

(b) communication to the public by performance,

broadcasting, distribution by cable or other means ;

(c) adaptation, translation and other transformation,

when such expressions are made either for
commercial purposes or outside their traditional or
customary context.
26 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003

(2) The rights conferred by subsection (1) of this section

shall not apply where the acts referred to therein are related
to –

(a) the use by a physical person exclusively for his own

personal purposes ;

(b) using short excerpts for reporting current events to

the extent justified by the purpose of providing
current information ;

(c) the use solely for the purpose of face to face teaching
or for scientific research ;

(d) instances referred to in sections 11 and 12, where a

work can be used without the authorization of the
owner of copyright.

(3) In all printed publications, and in connection with

any communication to the public of any identifiable
expression of folklore, its source shall be indicated in an
appropriate manner and in conformity with fair practice by
mentioning the community or place from where the
expression utilized has been derived.

(4) The right to authorize acts referred to in subsection

(1) of this section shall subject to the payment of a prescribed
fee, vest in a Competent authority to be determined by the
Minister.

(5) The money collected under subsection (4) shall be

used for purposes of cultural development.

(6) Any person who, without the permission of the

Competent Authority referred to in subsection (4), uses an
expression of folklore in a manner not permitted by this
section shall be in contravention of the provisions of this
section and shall be liable to damages, and be subject to an
injunctions and any other remedy as the Court may deem fit
to award in the circumstances.
 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003 27

25. (1) (a) No person or body of persons corporate or Registration of

unincorporate shall, after the coming into operation of this society,
administration of
Act, commence or carry on the business of issuing or granting rights by societies,
licences in respect of any right protected under this Part control over the
except under or in accordance with, the provisions of rights and
paragraph (c) of this subsection : submission of
report.

Provided that the owner of such right shall, in his

individual capacity, continue to have the right to grant
licences in respect of his own rights. Where such owner is a
member of a society registered under this section the grant
of such licences shall be consistent with his obligations as a
member of such society.

(b) Any body of persons corporate or unincorporate

which fulfils such conditions as may be prescribed, apply to
the Director-General for permission to engage in the business
specified in paragraph (a) and register the society.

(c) The Director-General may having regard to the

interests of the owners of the rights protected under this Part,
the interests and convenience of the public and in particular
of the groups of persons who are most likely to seek licences
in respect of relevant rights and the ability and professional
competence of the applicant to grant permission to
commence or carry on business specified in paragraph (a)
of subsection (1) and register such person or body of persons
as a collective society subject to such conditions as may be
prescribed :

Provided that the Director-General shall not ordinarily

register more than one such society to do business in respect
of the same class of rights.

(d) The Director-General may, if he is satisfied that the

society is being managed in a manner detrimental to the
interests of the owners of rights concerned, cancel or suspend
the registration of the society and the permission to
commence or carry on business as specified in paragraph
(a) of this subsection, after such inquiry as may be necessary.
28 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003

(e) The Director-General may by order cancel or suspend

the registration of such society and the permission to carry
on business pending inquiry for such period not exceeding
one year as may be specified in such order under paragraph
(d) of this subseciton.

(f) Where the Director-General suspends the registration

of a society, he shall thereupon appoint an administrator to
carry out the functions of the society.

(2) (a) Subject to such conditions as may be

prescribed—

(i) a society may accept from an owner of the

rights exclusive authorization to administer any
right under this Part by the issue of licences or
collection of licence fees or both ; and

(ii) an owner of the rights shall have the right to

withdraw such authorization without prejudice
to the rights of the society under any contract
between such owner and society.

(b) It shall be competent for a society to enter into any

agreement with any foreign society or organization
administering rights corresponding to the rights protected
under this Part, and to entrust to such foreign society or
organization the administration in any foreign country of
rights administered by the said society in Sri Lanka, or for
administering in Sri Lanka the rights administered in a
foreign country by such foreign society or organization :

Provided that no such society or organization shall permit

any discrimination in regard to the terms of a licence or the
distribution of fees collected in connection with the rights
protected under this Part and in such foreign country.

(c) Subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, a

society may –

(i) issue licences in respect of any rights protected

under this Part ;
 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003 29

(ii) collect fees in pursuance of such licences ;

(iii) distribute such fees among owners of rights after
making deductions for its own expenses ;
(iv) perform any other functions consistent with the
provisions of subsection (4).

(3) (a) Every society shall be subject to the collective

control of the owners of rights under this Part whose rights
are administered in such a manner as may be prescribed in
order to —

(i) obtain the approval of such owners of rights for its

procedures of collection and distribution of fees ;
(ii) obtain their approval for the utilization of any
amounts collected as fees for any purpose other
than distribution to the owner of rights ; and
(iii) provide to such owners regular, full and detailed
information concerning all its activities, in relation
to the administration of their rights.

(b) All fees distributed among the owners of rights shall,

as far as may be, be distributed in proportion to the actual
use of their works.

(4) (a) Every Society shall submit to the Director-

General such returns as may be prescribed.

(b) The Director-General may call for any report or

records of any society for the purpose of satisfying himself
that the fees collected by the society in respect of the rights
administered by it are being utilized or distributed in
accordance with the provisions of this Part.

26. (1) The provisions of this Part in respect of the Scope of

protection of literary, artistic or scientific works shall apply application.
to —

(a) works of authors who are nationals of , or have their

habitual residence in, Sri Lanka ; and
 30 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003

(b) works first published in Sri Lanka, works first

published in another country and hereupon
published in Sri Lanka, within thirty days from such
publication, irrespective of the nationality or
residence of the author.

(2) The provisions of this Part shall also apply to works

that are protected in Sri Lanka by virtue of, and in accordance
with, any international convention or any international
agreement to which Sri Lanka is a party.

Protection of 27. (1) The provisions of this Part in respect of

performers. protection of performers shall apply to—

(a) performers who are nationals of Sri Lanka ;

(b) performers who are not nationals of Sri Lanka but

whose performances :—

(i) take place on the territory of Sri Lanka ; or

(ii) are incorporated in sound recordings that are

protected under this Part ; or

(iii) have not been fixed in a sound recording but

are included in broadcasts qualifying for
protection under this Part.

(2) The provisions of this Part on the protection of sound

recodings, shall apply to —

(a) sound recordings the producers of which, are

nationals of Sri Lanka ;
(b) sound recordings first fixed in Sri Lanka ; and
(c) sound recordings first published in Sri Lanka.

(3) The provisions of this Part on the protection of

broadcasts shall apply to—

(a) broadcasts of broadcasting organisations where the

registered office of such organisations are situated
in Sri Lanka ; and
 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003 31

(b) broadcasts transmitted from transmitters situated

in Sri Lanka.

(4) The provisions of this Part shall in addition apply to

performers, producers of sound recordings and broadcasting
orgainsations protected by virtue of, and in accordance with,
any international convention or any international agreement
to which Sri Lanka is a party.

PART III

CHAPTER III

INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS

SCOPE OF THIS PART AND DEFINITIONS

28. The protection of industrial designs provided under Conditions for

this Part shall be in addition to and not in derogation of any protection.
other protection provided under any other written law, in
particular under Part II of this Act.

29. The protection provided under this Part shall— Scope of this Part.

(a) apply only to new industrial designs ;

(b) not apply to an industrial design which consists
of any scandalous design or is contrary to morality
or public order or public interest or which, in the
opinion of the Director-General or of any Court
to which such matter has been referred to is likely
to offend the religious or racial susceptibilities of
any community.

30. For the purposes of this Part any composition of Definition of

lines or colours or any three dimensional form, whether or industrial design.
not associated with lines or colours, that gives a special
appearance to a product of industry or handicraft and is
capable of serving as a pattern for a product of industry or
handicraft shall be deemed to be an industrial design :