A Study of Awareness of Sri Lankan Graphic Designers on Intellectual Property Law

Abstract

Nowadays, some individuals are utilising designs with a technical identity in the graphic field for commercial objectives without the artist's awareness to meet their requirements at a low cost. Also, it is a common problem faced by designers nowadays due to misdeeds done by fraudulent people socialising the designs of other parties as their own designs for various profit purposes. The purpose of this study is to highlight the importance of legal awareness in the field of graphic design, specifically in addressing issues like design theft. It aims to provide professionals with a comprehensive understanding of the legal measures to be taken in such cases, enabling them to work with a quality approach. The research addresses the following research questions: What are the legal actions taken by professional graphic designers in Sri Lanka in response to design theft in accordance with intellectual property law? Additionally, does it seek to identify the reasons behind the absence of legal support in cases where such actions have not been pursued? The qualitative research methodology was used for this study. Data were collected through the questionnaire method, and 20 Sri Lankan artisans with more than five years of experience in the field of graphic design using social media were used as a sample. The problems they faced regarding the misuse of their designs, measures taken, and legal actions to be taken were also considered. This study concludes that Sri Lankan graphic professionals are ignorant of intellectual property law; therefore, they are less inclined to act according to intellectual property law in the case of copyright infringement.