Rishad to Open First Ever Colombo Session by G15 Global Grouping Today

The Group of Fifteen (G-15) is a grouping of developing countries representing Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The first ever direct partnering effort by G15 global grouping with Sri Lanka will commence today (24)  in Colombo, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said.

Today’s Colombo session is a follow up to G15’s 2016 Algeria session on Protection of Intellectual Property (IP) rights of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.

Financial values can be practically calculated on concepts such as intellectual property. On the other hand indigenous cultural heritage is a priceless historic reward found within the country and not an easy task to calculate financially values of such heritages.  Sri Lanka receiving support from the WIPO to complete accession to the Madrid Protocol by end of 2017” said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen today in Colombo. Years of intense background work of Srilanka made this possible.

The accession will open doors for Sri Lankan brands to register their trademarks in one filing  which will then be activated across many countries at the same time, affording the much needed global IP protection for Sri Lankan brands for the first time.

Minister Bathiudeen was addressing the launch of the international seminar for the Group of Fifteen Member Countries on Issues, Options and Experiences in Developing National Policies and Legislation on Intellectual Property and the Protection of Traditional Knowledge (TK) and Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCE) Seminar for G15, co-organized by WIPO and the Government of Sri Lanka (through Minister Bathiudeen’s Ministry).  Sri Lanka is the current Chair of G15, until a new country shall take up the chair in 2020.

Under the leadership of Sri Lanka, the Group has decided on four areas for focused cooperation; Intellectual Property, Migration and Development, Renewable Energy and Information Communication Technology.