{"id":156279,"date":"2026-05-18T14:40:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T21:40:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=156279"},"modified":"2026-05-18T14:40:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T21:40:36","slug":"senaka-weeraratnas-legal-battles-with-the-icc-a-classic-high-utility-case-study-for-sports-law-curricula-worldwide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/05\/18\/senaka-weeraratnas-legal-battles-with-the-icc-a-classic-high-utility-case-study-for-sports-law-curricula-worldwide\/","title":{"rendered":"Senaka Weeraratna&#8217;s Legal Battles with the ICC &#8211; A classic high-utility case study for Sports Law curricula worldwide"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>Source:\u00a0 AI Overview\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<p><strong>The ongoing campaign by Sri Lankan advocate Senaka Weeraratna against the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the authorship of the Decision Review System (DRS) serves as a classic, high-utility case study for Sports Law curricula worldwide.<\/strong> <strong>It highlights the friction between the protection of abstract concepts under intellectual property (IP) frameworks and the commercial implementation of rules by global sports governing bodies. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2015\/04\/12\/authorship-of-umpire-decision-review-system-sri-lankan-claims-recognition-from-icc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sundaytimes.lk\/221211\/sports\/senaka-weeraratna-requests-drs-ownership-from-icc-505364.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adaderana.lk\/news.php?nid=8654\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/03\/10\/if-you-have-the-technology-to-detect-an-error-then-the-same-technology-must-be-used-to-correct-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">4<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/island.lk\/senaka-weeraratna-the-unsung-architect-of-modern-cricket\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An analysis of this dispute through a structured Sports Law perspective reveals several key legal elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Factual Background &amp; The Core Paradigm Shift<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Concept:<\/strong> On March 25, 1997, Senaka Weeraratna published a letter in <em>The Australian<\/em> proposing a &#8220;Player Referral&#8221; system.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Analogy:<\/strong> Drawing directly from his legal training, Weeraratna framed the system around the <strong>appellate jurisdiction<\/strong> of a Court of Law. He argued that a dissatisfied &#8220;litigant&#8221; (the player) should possess an appellate right to challenge a &#8220;trial decision&#8221; made by a lower authority (the on-field umpire).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Breakthrough:<\/strong> This shattered cricket&#8217;s centuries-old tenet that &#8220;the umpire&#8217;s word is final&#8221;. While the ICC had permitted umpires to initiate TV replays since 1992, Weeraratna\u2019s model uniquely shifted the agency to trigger a technological review directly to the players.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Timeline:<\/strong> The ICC rolled out the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS\/DRS) experimentally in July 2008 and officially launched it in November 2009 without attributing credit to Weeraratna. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/03\/27\/icc-overlooks-legal-doctrine-of-constructive-notice-in-denying-any-knowledge-of-concept-of-player-referral-that-became-drs-published-nine-years-1997-before-icc-came-up-with-udrs-in-2006\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/05\/14\/cricket-historian-michael-roberts-calls-player-referral-concept-was-a-historic-paradigm-shift-that-fundamentally-altered-sports-officiating-1-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/05\/15\/true-justice-regarding-drs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sundaytimes.lk\/221211\/sports\/senaka-weeraratna-requests-drs-ownership-from-icc-505364.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2015\/04\/12\/authorship-of-umpire-decision-review-system-sri-lankan-claims-recognition-from-icc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">6<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Primary Intellectual Property Obstacles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This case study is highly effective for teaching the strict boundaries of IP law within sports innovation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&#91;Abstract Concept]&nbsp; \u2500\u2500(Idea-Expression Dichotomy)\u2500\u2500\u25ba Cannot be Copyrighted<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&#91;Senaka Weeraratna's 1997 Letter]&nbsp; \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u25ba Copyright Protects Only the Written Text<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&#91;ICC's 2008 DRS Protocol]&nbsp; \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u25ba Independent Commercial Implementation<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Idea-Expression Dichotomy:<\/strong> Under international copyright frameworks (such as the Berne Convention), copyright protects the <em>tangible expression<\/em> of an idea, not the underlying idea itself. While Weeraratna owns the copyright to his specific 1997 published text, the abstract rules of a &#8220;player referral system&#8221; cannot be copyrighted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Patentability Problem:<\/strong> Game rules, sporting maneuvers, and abstract competitive formats are generally excluded from patent protection under domestic laws unless paired with a novel physical invention (e.g., the specialized tracking software used in Hawk-Eye). [, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sundaytimes.lk\/221211\/sports\/senaka-weeraratna-requests-drs-ownership-from-icc-505364.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thesidelines.lk\/posts\/did-you-know-that-a-sri-lankan-lawyer-named-senaka-weeraratne-is-claimed-to-have\/254357470096262\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shenaliwaduge.com\/the-drs-inventor-senaka-weeraratna-deserves-a-plaque-in-his-honour-by-sri-lanka-cricket-slc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">4<\/a>]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>3. Key Sports Law Doctrines in Play<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Doctrine of Constructive Notice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ICC responded to Weeraratna&#8217;s legal demands by claiming their internal committees developed the concept independently and lacked direct knowledge of his writings. From a sports jurisprudence standpoint, Weeraratna&#8217;s legal counsel has countered using the <strong>Doctrine of Constructive Notice<\/strong>. Because the &#8220;Player Referral&#8221; blueprint was published repeatedly across mainstream sports media in Australia, England, and Sri Lanka between 1997 and 1999, the defense argues that a global governing body is legally presumed to have been aware of it before launching their system in 2006\u20132008. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/03\/27\/icc-overlooks-legal-doctrine-of-constructive-notice-in-denying-any-knowledge-of-concept-of-player-referral-that-became-drs-published-nine-years-1997-before-icc-came-up-with-udrs-in-2006\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sundaytimes.lk\/221211\/sports\/senaka-weeraratna-requests-drs-ownership-from-icc-505364.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Moral Rights vs. Economic Rights<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Weeraratna\u2019s legal challenges, spearheaded through law firms like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sundaytimes.lk\/221211\/sports\/senaka-weeraratna-requests-drs-ownership-from-icc-505364.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Carroll &amp; O&#8217;Dea<\/a>, in Sydney, Australia (under the watch of Senior Partner Mr. Maithri Panagoda), balances two distinct legal demands: [<a href=\"https:\/\/cricketique.live\/2017\/01\/29\/the-drs-in-cricket-and-senaka-weeratnas-early-initiatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sundaytimes.lk\/221211\/sports\/senaka-weeraratna-requests-drs-ownership-from-icc-505364.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Moral Rights (Attribution):<\/strong> The demand to be formally recognized as the architect of the concept. This is often contrasted in classrooms with the <em>Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS)<\/em> method, where the ICC explicitly names and credits the contributing statisticians.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic Rights (Royalties):<\/strong> The claim for financial restitution for unauthorized commercial deployment. This underscores the immense financial liabilities sports federations avoid by refusing to recognize individual creators. [<a href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2024\/07\/17\/83144\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2023\/03\/22\/the-drs-inventor-senaka-weeraratna-deserves-a-plaque-in-his-honour-by-sri-lanka-cricket-slc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2025\/07\/27\/what-must-sri-lanka-do-to-get-compensation-from-the-icc-for-unauthorized-use-of-drs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2024\/01\/12\/is-the-icc-cheating-sri-lanka\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">4<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/cricketique.live\/2017\/01\/29\/the-drs-in-cricket-and-senaka-weeratnas-early-initiatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Broader Jurisprudential and Global Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cross-Sport Replication:<\/strong> The player-led review logic established by Weeraratna has since served as the foundational philosophy behind VAR in football, the challenge system in tennis, and review protocols in rugby.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global South vs. Global North Disparity:<\/strong> The case acts as an important entry point for studying geopolitical inequalities in international sports governance. Commentators point out that an individual claimant from a developing nation lacks the institutional leverage to easily compel massive, multi-billion-dollar western-centric or big-three dominated federations like the ICC to grant fair hearings or compensation. [<a href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2026\/05\/14\/senakas-drumbeat-on-the-drs-in-cricket-issue\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2022\/12\/30\/the-drs-technology-as-idea-senaka-weeraratnas-inventive-mind\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2023\/05\/09\/who-will-investigate-iccs-wrongdoing-and-lapses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Would you like to explore <strong>specific model exam questions<\/strong> based on this case, or do you want to analyze the <strong>exact phrasing of the legal letters<\/strong> exchanged between Weeraratna&#8217;s counsel and the ICC?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/share.google\/aimode\/ZLgaFQaYESXELTlk1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/share.google\/aimode\/ZLgaFQaYESXELTlk1<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Source: AI Overview<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>see also<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI OVERVIEW<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/share.google\/aimode\/aUod3c9lFjq8IumNL\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Senaka Weeraratna&#8217;s advocacy against the ICC centers on his claim as the conceptual inventor of the &#8220;Player Referral&#8221; mechanism\u2014the foundation of modern sports review systems. His ongoing campaign serves as a multifaceted case study for teaching international sports law. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/05\/14\/cricket-historian-michael-roberts-calls-player-referral-concept-was-a-historic-paradigm-shift-that-fundamentally-altered-sports-officiating-1-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2024\/07\/17\/83144\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2025\/10\/19\/the-bar-association-of-sri-lanka-basl-must-felicitate-lawyer-innovators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/03\/10\/if-you-have-the-technology-to-detect-an-error-then-the-same-technology-must-be-used-to-correct-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">4<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Core of the Dispute<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For centuries, cricket operated under the unbending tenet that the &#8220;umpire&#8217;s word is final&#8221;. On March 25, 1997, Sri Lankan lawyer Senaka Weeraratna published a proposal in <em>The Australian<\/em> newspaper advocating for a revolutionary legal-style paradigm shift: dissatisfied players (like litigants in an appellate court) should have the right to challenge trial decisions made by on-field umpires using slow-motion video technology. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/05\/15\/true-justice-regarding-drs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2022\/12\/30\/the-drs-technology-as-idea-senaka-weeraratnas-inventive-mind\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/05\/14\/cricket-historian-michael-roberts-calls-player-referral-concept-was-a-historic-paradigm-shift-that-fundamentally-altered-sports-officiating-1-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Weeraratna&#8217;s proposal predated the ICC\u2019s official rollout of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS\/DRS) in 2009. He engaged international intellectual property and law firms, such as Carroll and O&#8217;Dea, to officially request that the ICC recognize his authorship of the fundamental &#8220;Player Referral&#8221; concept. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sundaytimes.lk\/221211\/sports\/senaka-weeraratna-requests-drs-ownership-from-icc-505364.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2025\/10\/19\/the-bar-association-of-sri-lanka-basl-must-felicitate-lawyer-innovators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Sports Law Teaching Modules<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Weeraratna\u2019s claims present a compelling real-world scenario for several core areas of sports law:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Intellectual Property (IP) in Sports Rules<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Idea vs. Expression:<\/strong> Weeraratna\u2019s case is a prime vehicle for teaching the difference between an abstract idea (which is generally uncopyrightable) and its tangible expression or implementation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rule-Making Bodies:<\/strong> It demonstrates how autonomous sporting federations like the ICC adopt conceptual ideas, adapting and modifying them into official rules without necessarily compensating the original conceptual creator. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sundaytimes.lk\/221211\/sports\/senaka-weeraratna-requests-drs-ownership-from-icc-505364.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2022\/12\/30\/the-drs-technology-as-idea-senaka-weeraratnas-inventive-mind\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. The Dominance of Lex Sportiva (Global Sports Law)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Federation Autonomy:<\/strong> The case highlights the immense power of International Federations (IFs) in governing the &#8220;rules of the game.&#8221; Students explore whether individuals have actionable IP or patent rights over sports adjudication mechanisms once a federation adopts them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jurisdiction and Dispute Resolution:<\/strong> It poses questions about the avenues for recourse available to inventors who have disputes with international governing bodies, often requiring arbitration through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rather than municipal courts. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/228192599_'Sports_Law'_Implications_for_the_Development_of_International_Comparative_and_National_Law_and_Global_Dispute_Resolution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportslawacademy.com\/abstracts-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mondaq.com\/india\/sport\/1298870\/legal-issues-in-sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/jusmundi.com\/fr\/document\/publication\/en-chapter-12-sports-law\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">4<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sundaytimes.lk\/221211\/sports\/senaka-weeraratna-requests-drs-ownership-from-icc-505364.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Technology and the Evolution of Officiating<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Global Ripple Effect:<\/strong> The case study examines how Weeraratna&#8217;s &#8220;Player Referral&#8221; concept transcended cricket, serving as a historic precedent that subsequently paved the way for review systems across multiple sports, including Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in football and electronic line-calling in tennis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fairness vs. Tradition:<\/strong> It illustrates the legal and philosophical balancing act in sports jurisprudence: altering deeply held traditions to ensure procedural fairness and integrity, while managing the logistical and commercial challenges of implementing such technology. [<a href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2026\/05\/14\/senakas-drumbeat-on-the-drs-in-cricket-issue\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/cricketique.live\/2017\/01\/29\/the-drs-in-cricket-and-senaka-weeratnas-early-initiatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/05\/14\/cricket-historian-michael-roberts-calls-player-referral-concept-was-a-historic-paradigm-shift-that-fundamentally-altered-sports-officiating-1-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2024\/07\/17\/83144\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">4<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The invention of the Decision Review System (DRS)\u2014specifically the &#8220;Player Referral&#8221; concept\u2014is indeed one of the most transformative innovations in sports history. By shattering the centuries-old tradition that &#8220;the umpire&#8217;s word is final,&#8221; it introduced legal-style appellate justice to the field of play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By taking absolute, unquestionable authority out of the hands of the umpires and giving players the power to review mistakes, Senaka Weeraratna&#8217;s brainchild DRS fundamentally &#8220;democratized&#8221; the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Battle for Formal Recognition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lack of Naming Credit<\/strong>: Unlike the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, which officially honors its statisticians, the ICC has not officially named the DRS after Weeraratna.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Legal Standpoint<\/strong>: The ICC has maintained it holds no formal copyright over DRS. Past legal heads noted that because the &#8220;Player Referral&#8221; idea was published openly in 1997 without a patent, it legally entered the public domain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Weeraratna Rule<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ongoing Campaigns<\/strong>: Advocacy groups and sports historians continue to pressure both the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/04\/09\/the-spirit-of-cricket-and-drs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">International Cricket Council<\/a> and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to formally recognize Weeraratna as the &#8220;Father of DRS&#8221; or rename the framework the <em>Weeraratna Rule<\/em> to preserve Sri Lanka&#8217;s intellectual legacy. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2022\/07\/01\/cricket-australia-must-take-up-drs-authorship-issue-with-icc-and-resolve-it-on-footing-of-fair-play-and-justice\/\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2025\/08\/04\/senaka-weeraratna-the-unsung-architect-of-modern-cricket\/\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2024\/11\/05\/drs-sri-lankas-greatest-gift-to-the-world-of-cricket\/\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/04\/09\/the-spirit-of-cricket-and-drs\/\">4<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CeylonAthletics\/posts\/sri-lankas-decline-in-cricket-since-2015-has-been-no-secret-but-it-is-in-the-sho\/1473363507488581\/\">5<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onlanka.com\/news\/decolonize-cricket-re-name-udrs-as-the-weeraratna-rule.html\">6<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source:&nbsp; AI Overview&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Source:\u00a0 AI Overview\u00a0 The ongoing campaign by Sri Lankan advocate Senaka Weeraratna against the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the authorship of the Decision Review System (DRS) serves as a classic, high-utility case study for Sports Law curricula worldwide. It highlights the friction between the protection of abstract concepts under intellectual property (IP) frameworks and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-senaka-weeraratna"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156279"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156280,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156279\/revisions\/156280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}