Establishing Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC) in Sri Lanka is a joint project of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and National Intellectual Property Office (NIPO) of Sri Lanka. TISC program in the university is designed to give university staff and local inventers easy access to locally based, high quality technology information and related services.
Intellectual Property is traditionally divided into two categories: (i) Industrial Property which includes patents for inventions, trademarks and service marks, industrial designs and Geographical Indications and (ii) Copyright which covers literary and artistic works. The rights of performing artists, producers of sound recordings and broadcasting organizations are known as the related rights or neighbouring rights.
Intellectual property rights share the characteristics of other property rights – they can be owned, alienated and licensed. They allow the creator or owner of a patent, trademark, or copyright etc. to benefit from his or her own creative work. These rights have been recognized in several International Conventions on Intellectual Property.
A patent is valid only in the country where it is granted. As Sri Lanka is a member of the Paris Convention for the protection of industrial property, Sri Lankans can obtain patents for their inventions in any member country of the Paris Convention under the national law of the relevant country. Almost all the countries are members of this convention. Applicant can claim priority under the Paris Convention for the protection of Industrial Property in its member countries which means that claiming the effect of initial filing date in subsequent filing in other member states (if filed within 1 year from the date of application in Sri Lanka).
All Sri Lankan nationals or residents can apply under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) administered by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva. You may apply for a patent in many countries (Member Countries of PCT) by filing single application to WIPO. Counties which the applicant intends to file national application later should he designated in the PCT application. PCT filing is a simpler procedure than making several applications in many countries. PCT application has the same effect as a national application filed in the designated countries (For more details log on to www.wipo.int)