Country Overview
Sri Lanka (population 23.2 million) is a South Asian market with a diversified, export- and services-oriented economy. Core sectors include tourism, tea, apparel and textiles, and agriculture, alongside established manufacturing and “winning” industries such as gems and jewellery, food and beverage processing, electronics and electrical components, pharmaceuticals, rubber and rubber products, and wellness and health. The Colombo Stock Exchange market capitalization was reported at approximately USD 19.689 billion (Feb 2025).
IP owners should secure rights early, given the longer trademark and design timelines, and ensure specifications, authorizations, and renewal control are aligned from the outset so market entry, distributor arrangements, and enforcement are not delayed by formalities.
UTMPS Presence in Sri Lanka
UTMPS has been operating in Sri Lanka since 2015. Our local team supports trademarks, patents, and industrial designs across the full lifecycle—filing and prosecution, renewals, recordals, and enforcement coordination—working in Sinhala and English and coordinating closely with our wider regional platform on cross-border portfolios. Sector exposure includes electronics, automotive/motor, food, industrial, cosmetics, hospitality, and pharmaceuticals.
Key IP Services in Sri Lanka
- Trademark filings, oppositions, renewals, and enforcement
- Patent protection, including pharmaceuticals and green technologies
- Copyright registrations and advisory for software and digital content
- Industrial design filings and renewals
- Anti-counterfeiting enforcement, including border measures and litigation
- IP due diligence and portfolio management
Sri Lanka IP System Overview
- Sri Lanka is party to key international IP treaties including the Paris Convention, PCT, Berne Convention, Nairobi Treaty, Trademark Law Treaty, and the WIPO Convention).
- Sri Lanka’s IP principal statute is the Intellectual Property Act No. 36 of 2003.
- The national IP office is the National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka (NIPO).
This section provides a high-level overview of jurisdiction-specific IP protection requirements and is not intended to be comprehensive. For advice on your specific matter, please contact our IP experts.
- Filing: Single-class
- Term: 10 years; renewable for further 10-year periods.
- Madrid: Not available (national filings only).
- Priority: 6 months; priority document must be filed within 3 months of filing in Sri Lanka (with translation if needed).
- Typical timeline: 2–4 years.
- Opposition: Available following advertisement (statutory deadline applies).
- Membership: Sri Lanka is a member of Paris and PCT. (WIPO)
- Term: 20 years from filing (for PCT national phase, calculated from the international filing date).
- Priority: 12 months (Paris); 30 months (PCT) from the initial filing date (per local practice).
- Maintenance fees: Annual renewal is required from the second year of registration, with a 6-month grace period (surcharge applies).
- Term: 15 years.
- Hague: Not available.
- Typical timeline: 2–3 years.
- Renewals: Renewable for two consecutive 5-year periods; renewal should be filed 12 months prior to expiry, with a 6-month grace period (surcharge applies).
- Sri Lanka is a member of the Berne Convention, but there is no copyright registration procedure locally.
Colombo
105, Hunupitiya Lake Road, Colombo 02,
Western Province, Sri Lanka
Global Reach
With a presence across 20+ jurisdictions spanning the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, UTMPS delivers comprehensive IP solutions tailored to local requirements.
Outside our footprint, we coordinate matters through a carefully vetted network of trusted IP associates worldwide.
