The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to safeguard the historical, cultural, and traditional intellectual property of the Kandy Esala Perahera, one of Sri Lanka’s most renowned cultural festivals. The initiative aligns with the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) project titled “Promoting Festival Tourism Development through Intellectual Property”, which aims to strengthen the capacity of cultural festival organizers to use intellectual property rights in tourism development while respecting traditions and heritage. The Esala Perahera, rooted in centuries‑old art forms and knowledge, has been identified as suitable for submission under this programme. Special focus will be placed on copyright protection and trademarks and branding to preserve the festival’s unique identity. To prepare and submit the project proposal, the Cabinet endorsed the recommendation of the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, under the joint chairmanship of the Minister of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. A committee comprising all relevant stakeholders will be appointed to oversee the process, to strengthen both festival tourism and the protection of Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage on the global stage. (Newswire) The post Kandy Esala Perahera to gain intellectual property safeguards under WIPO project appeared first on Newswire.
