Sri Lanka sets 2018 target for Madrid Protocol accession
Sri Lanka’s accession to the Madrid Protocol is to be completed by August next year, according to the country’s minister of industry and commerce Rishad Bathiudeen.
Bathiudeen last week appointed JM Swaminathan to head the Intellectual Property Advisory Commission of Sri Lanka with instructions to speed up the process of entering the protocol.
In a statement, he directed Swaminathan to focus on clearing any pending backlogs, and fast-tracking the Madrid Protocol and amendments to copyright laws so that “our entire IP gathers speed for development”.
He also thanked the World Intellectual Property Organization for its support on the protocol, before delivering the August 2018 deadline “if things go according to plans”.
The Madrid Protocol allows protection for trademarks in multiple countries through the filing of one application with a single office, in one language, with one set of fees.
Bathiudeen added that more than Rs100 million ($650,000) will be pledged to help the implementation process.
Currently there are 99 members signed up to the Madrid Protocol, after Thailand officially became a member earlier this month.
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