PART V CHAPTER XIX MARKS AND TRADE NAMES 101. For the purposes of this Part, unless the context otherwise requires— “certification mark” means a mark indicating that the goods or services in connection with which it is used are certified by the proprietor of the mark in respect of origin, material, mode of manufacture of goods or performance of services, quality, accuracy or other characteristics ; “collective mark” means any visible sign designated as such and serving to distinguish the origin or any other common characteristic of goods or services of different enterprises which use the mark under the control of the registered owner ; “enterprise” means any business, industry or other activity carried on by an individual, partnership, company, or co-operative society wherever registered or incorporated and whether registered or not under any law for the time being in force relating to companies, co-operative societies or businesses engaged in or proposing to engage in any business and includes any business undertaking of the Government or any State Corporation whether carrying on business in Sri Lanka or otherwise ; “false trade description” means a trade description which is false or misleading in a material respect as regards the goods or services to which it is applied, and includes every alteration of a trade description, whether by way of addition, effacement or otherwise, where that alteration makes the description false or misleading in a material respect, Definitions. 76 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003 and the fact that a trade description is a trade mark or part of a trade mark shall not prevent such trade description being a false trade description within the meaning of this Part ; “geographical indication” means an indication which identifies any goods as originating in the territory of a country, or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin ; “goods” means anything which is the subject of trade, manufacture or merchandise and includes services ; “indication of source” means any expression or sign used to indicate that a product or service originates in a given conutry or group of countries, region, or locality ; “mark” means a trade mark or service mark ; “name” includes any abbreviation of a name ; “person” means manufacturer, dealer, trader or owner and includes any body of persons, corporate or unincorporate ; “service mark” means any visible sign serving to distinguish the services of one enterprise from those of an other enterprise ; “trade description” means any description, statement or other indication, direct or indirect— (a) as to the number, quantity, measure, gauge, or weight of any goods ; or (b) as to the place or country in which any goods were made or produced ; or Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003 77 (c) as to the mode of manufacturing or producing any goods ; or (d) as to the material of which any goods are composed ; or (e) as to any goods being the subject of an existing copyright, related rights, industrial design or patent or any other matter protected under this Act ; or (f) as to the quality, kind or nature of the services ; or (g) as to the standard of quality of any goods, according to a classification commonly used or recognized in the trade ; or (h) as to the fitness for purpose, strength, performance or behaviour of any goods, and the use of any figure, word or mark which, according to the custom of the trade, is commonly taken to be an indication of any of the above matters shall be deemed to be a trade description within the meaning of this Part ; “trade mark” means any visible sign serving to distinguish the goods of one enterprise from those of another enterprise ; and “trade name” means the name or designation identifying the enterprise of a natural or legal person. 78 Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003 CHAPTER XX ADMISSIBILITY OF MARKS 102. (1) The exclusive right to a mark conferred by this Part shall be acquired, subject to the succeeding provisions, by registration. (2) Registration of a mark may be granted to the person who— (a) is the first to fulfill the conditions of a valid application ; or (b) is the first to validly claim the earliest priority for his application : Provided however such mark shall not be inadmissible under sections 103 and 104. (3) A mark may consist in particular, of arbitrary or fanciful designations, names, pseudonyms, geographical names, slogans, devices, reliefs, letters, numbers, labels, envelopes, emblems, prints, stamps, seals, vignettes, selvedges, borders and edgings, combinations or arrangements of colours and shapes of goods or containers. 103. (1) A mark shall not be registered— (a) which consists of shapes or forms imposed by the inherent nature of the goods or services or by their industrial function ; (b) which consists exclusively of a sign or indication which may serve, in the course of trade, to designate the kind, quality, quantity, intended purpose, value, place of origin or time of production, or of supply, of the goods or services concerned ; Admissibility of marks. Marks inadmissible on objective grounds. Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003 79 (c) which consists exclusively of a sign or indication which has become, in the current language or in the bona fide and established practices of trade in Sri Lanka, a customary designation of the goods or services concerned ;
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