Sri Lanka has not adopted the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.

Pursuant to Section 5 of the Right to Information Act, where a public authority requests access to information—including trade secrets protected under the Intellectual Property Act—such a request shall not be refused if an overriding public interest warrants the disclosure.

Sri Lanka currently lacks a comprehensive legal framework dedicated to the robust protection of trade secrets. Nonetheless, certain limited provisions address aspects of this issue. The principal legislative instrument governing matters related to unfair competition and the protection of undisclosed information, including trade secrets, is the Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003. This Act affords statutory protection to individuals and entities seeking legal redress against the unauthorised disclosure, acquisition, or utilisation of confidential information. In addition to statutory remedies, common law avenues remain accessible for the enforcement of rights in such cases. However, the existing legal regime does not provide for the formal registration of trade secrets.

Under Section 17.10 of the Telecommunications Act, as amended in 2024, the Commission shall have the authority to issue directions to any operator to whom a licence has been issued, requiring the sharing of any infrastructure owned or used by such operator with another operator specified by the Commission. The Act’s definition of infrastructure includes passive infrastructure.
Section 7 of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Sharing Regulations, released in 2024, states that these Regulations establish an infrastructure-sharing regime that enables the sharing of applicable telecommunications infrastructure among requesting operators, sharing operators, and owning operators.

The government holds an equity stake in a telecommunications company, with the Secretary to the Treasury possessing 50.2% of the issued share capital of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC as of 2024.

Pursuant to Section 11 of the Competition Rules, in instances where the telecommunications market is determined to lack effective competition, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) is mandated to identify entities possessing significant market power. Upon such identification, the Commission shall impose appropriate regulatory obligations on these entities to remedy the identified deficiencies in market competitiveness. In addition, the Commission will assess, on a case-by-case basis, the necessity of implementing accounting and functional separation measures, taking into account the specific circumstances and characteristics of each case.

The licensing of the telecommunications sector is regulated under Part II of the Sri Lanka Telecommunications Act, No. 25 of 1991, as last amended in July 2024. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) considers applications on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the market dynamics, competition and other sectoral factors. No new telecom licenses have been issued in the last 10 years. It is reported that TRCSL has a documented history of failing to be transparent in its recommendations on the issuance of licences to telecommunications providers.

Sri Lanka has appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.

Sri Lanka possesses a national telecommunications regulatory body, namely the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL). Nevertheless, concerns have been raised regarding the extent of its institutional independence from governmental influence. Reports indicate a persistent pattern of governmental interference in the Commission’s decision-making processes. In addition, since the Ministry of Technology's organisational restructuring in October 2022, the TRCSL has operated under the purview of this Ministry.

Sri Lanka has entered into an agreement that entails binding commitments to permit the cross-border transfer of data. Art. 9.9 of the "Free Trade Agreement between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Singapore" stipulates that each party shall allow the transfer of information by electronic means, including personal data, across borders when such transfers are necessary for the conduct of business by a covered person.

Sri Lanka is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Sri Lanka maintains a well-defined framework of copyright exceptions, grounded in the principle of fair use, which permits the lawful utilisation of copyrighted material without prior authorisation. These provisions are codified in Sections 11 and 12 of the Intellectual Property Act.

Reports indicate that music and software piracy is prevalent in Sri Lanka. International firms operating within the recording, software, and film industries assert that insufficient protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights significantly undermine their commercial interests in the country.

Sri Lanka has not adopted the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.