Copyright & law
Musical works are protected by copyright in Sri Lanka. Any public use of music needs permission and the payment of royalties.
What copyright protects
Copyright gives the creators of a musical work the exclusive right to:
- perform it in public
- broadcast it
- reproduce it
- distribute it
The law in Sri Lanka
Music use in Sri Lanka is governed by the Intellectual Property Act No. 36 of 2003.
ACPOSL is registered with the National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka (NIPO) and is currently the only registered collective management organisation representing authors, composers and music publishers for the administration of performing rights in musical works in Sri Lanka. View the registration certificate.
What it means for music users
Any person, business, organisation or institution that publicly performs, broadcasts or communicates copyrighted music must have permission from the copyright owners or the collective management organisation that represents them. In practice, that means an ACPOSL licence and the payment of royalties.
Find the licence for your business.
ACPOSL's role in enforcement
ACPOSL protects its members' rights by:
- monitoring how music is used
- issuing licences
- working with the authorities
- raising awareness of copyright