Zambia to Strengthen IP Protection with 5 New Bills

President Edgar Lungu of Zambia at the official opening of the 15th session of the council of Ministers of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) meeting in Lusaka announced that his government is working on 5 new intellectual property bills.

In a statement read on his behalf by Vice President Inonge Wina at the ARIPO meeting last month, President Lungu implored Africa to invest in intellectual property systems for the protection of innovations of the continent's indigenous people.

Vice President Wina in his speach mentioned that at the national level, his Government had taken various steps to strengthen intellectual property systems through the review of the legal frameworks and in this regard, five bills would be presented to Parliament next year to consolidate the law regarding traditional folklore, patents, trade marks, integrated circuits and industrial designs.

These Bills are set to be an important step in Zambia's efforts to domesticate various international agreements that the country has ratified so far.

For more information, please contact Carole Theuri