What is copyright?
Copyright means the rights given by law to the creators for their literary and artistic works. The rights take two forms; (a) economic rights and (b) moral rights. The economic rights include the right to reproduce, sell, rent, distribute, communicate to the public, and translate etc. whereas the moral rights cover the right to claim the authorship and right to oppose distortion or mutilation of the work.
Why protect?
Copyright protects the rights of the authors of literary and artistic works and ensures them the economic benefits and recognition thereby promoting creativity in literary and artistic fields and investment. Such creations enhance economic development, education, culture, and enjoyment of life.
What is covered?
Copyright covers original literary and artistic works: writings such as books, computer programs, articles, oral works such as speeches and lectures, stage plays, teleplays, musical works, films, drawings, paintings and photographs. The works such as databases and translations are also protected.
Registration of copyright is not required to obtain protection. The Protection is accorded without any formality such as registration in Sri Lanka. Copyright is protected from the day that the work is published and made available to the public.
Who owns?
The author is the owner of economic rights, but there are few exceptions such as a work created by an employee which generally belongs to his employer. The economic rights can be assigned or licensed. The moral rights always belong to the author irrespective of the economic rights.
Duration
Copyright in Sri Lanka is generally protected during the life of the author and 70 years after his death.
Administration
The owner of copyright can administer the rights individually. Alternatively, the owners can administer their rights collectively. The collective administration means that the owners form an organization which acts on their behalf in licensing the rights, collecting fees, monitoring use and infringement of rights and enforcement of rights.
Protection abroad
The works of Sri Lankan authors are protected in all the member countries of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works and the national law of the particular country is applicable.
Regulation
Regulations made under the Intellectual Property Act have been published in,
- Gazette Numbers; 1415/18 of 10th October 2005
[ English PDF - 45 KB ] | [ Sinhala PDF - 144 KB ] | [ Tamil PDF - 161 KB ]