The topic of Copyright law of Sri Lanka is one that has been studied, debated and analyzed for years. The importance of Copyright law of Sri Lanka is reflected in various aspects of society, from politics to popular culture. As interest in Copyright law of Sri Lanka continues to grow, it is crucial to understand its impact on our lives. In this article, we will explore different facets of Copyright law of Sri Lanka and its relevance in the modern world. From its history to its future implications, we will examine in detail how Copyright law of Sri Lanka has shaped and continues to shape our environment.
The basic legal instrument governing copyright law in Sri Lanka is Part II (ss. 5–27) of the Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003 (Sinhala: 2003 අංක 36 දරන බුද්ධිමය දේපල පනත; Tamil: 2003ஆம் ஆண்டின் 36ஆம் இலக்க புலமைச்சொத்து பாதுகாப்பு சட்டம்) replacing Part II (ss. 6–24) of the Code of Intellectual Property Act, No. 52 of 1979.
According to section 6 original intellectual creations in the literary, artistic and scientific domain are protected as works, in particular
including transformations and modifications of works as well as collections (s. 7).
Excluded are (s. 8)
Foreign works are covered by section 26 subsection (2).
The owner of copyright has the exclusive right to carry out or to authorize the following acts in relation to the work (economic rights, s. 9):
Protected is the entire work as well as a substantial part thereof.
The original owner of these economic rights is the author (exception: works for hire), in the case of an audiovisual work the producer (s. 14).
The owner of a copyright may
Furthermore, the author of a work enjoys the following moral rights (s. 10):
Acts of fair use include inter alia (s. 12)
The economic and moral rights are protected during the lifetime of the author and for a further period of 70 years from the date of his death (p.m.a.); a work of applied art is protected for 25 years from the date of the making of the work (s. 13).
Related rights include the rights of performers (ss. 17, 19), the rights of producers of sound recordings (ss. 18, 19) and the rights of broadcasting organisations (s. 20), each of them having a duration of 50 years (limitations: s. 21).
When copyright is infringed, the Court has power and jurisdiction to grant injunctions, to order the impounding and destruction of illegal copies and to award damages (ss. 22, 170).
Copyright infringement may also lead to criminal charges (s. 178; accessories: s. 196; limitation: s. 202).
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