Mr. Anthony Bwembya - Registrar

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to our new website.The Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA), formerly known as the Patents and Companies Registration Office (PACRO), has now been constituted into a legal entity following the enactment of the PACRA Act No. 15 of 2010.                                                                           

PACRA shall continue carrying out its mandate of regulating businesses and operating a registry for commercial and industrial property rights. As an institution, we remain committed to offering you a service that is second to none. We are continuously investing in our processes with particular emphasis on shortening the period of registration and thereby reducing the cost of doing business. Our vision is to epitomize excellence and professionalism in business registration.

In our quest to offer you optimal service, we have designed this site with you, our client, in mind. While retaining most of the features of the old site, the new site has incorporated new features that facilitate easy navigation and location of needed information.Over and above the various services we offer, the new site also makes provision for you, our valued customer, to e-mail us on any matter of concern to you. Our officers will be available to attend to your concerns.

I wish to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Government, in particular the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry and the general public for their continued support to this institution.

We look forward to serving you better.

‘PACRA, Business Starts Here’

Anthony Bwembya
Registrar
 

WHO IS PACRA

The Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) is a semi-autonomous executive agency of the Zambian Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry. Its principal functions are to operate a legal system for registration and protection of commercial and industrial property and to serve as a legal depository of the information tendered for registration. It comprises two core departments - Industrial Property and Commercial. Others are Accounts, Human Resources and Administration, and Information Technology (IT). Mr. Anthony Bwembya is the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the institution.  He is assisted by Messrs Lloyd S. Thole and Christopher Mapani, Assistant Registrar for Industrial Property Unit and Commercial Unit respectively.

MISSION STATEMENT

To provide customer focussed, efficient and effective registration and protection systems for commercial and intellectual property rights in order to promote innovation and orderly trade for the benefit of the nation.

VISION

To be a beacon of excellence in company and industrial property registration and protection.

FUNCTIONS OF PACRA

1.Administer and attend to matters incidental to the Companies Act Cap. 388; The Registration of Business Names Act No 16 of 2011; Patents Act Cap. 400; Trade Marks Act Cap. 401 and Registered Designs Act Cap. 402.

2.Ensure Zambia’s continued adherence to the various conventions and treaties on the protection of intellectual property, namely, trademarks, patents and industrial designs;

3.Promote the establishment and maintenance of a computerized information center for the publicity of company transactions, financial positions and the dissemination of technical information contained in patent documents to potential and actual users;

 

THE PACRA ACT No 15 OF 2010.

 The Act establishes PACRA as a legal entity with perpetual succession with a common seal, capable of suing and being sued in its corporate name and with power, subject to the provisions of the Act, to do all such things as a body corporate may by law do and perform.

THE COMPANIES ACT CAP. 388 OF THE LAWS OF ZAMBIA

The Act provides for the incorporation, management, administration and winding up of companies. The Act also provides for the registration of foreign companies doing business in Zambia and the registration of charges and matters incidental to the foregoing.

THE REGISTRATION OF BUSINESS NAMES ACT NO 16 OF 2011

This Act provides for the registration of business names which may be a firm  or a sole proprietor.

THE PATENTS ACT CAP 400 OF THE LAWS OF ZAMBIA

The Act establishes and confers powers on the Patents Office, provides procedures and requirements for patenting an invention, rights accruing from patentability and how to protect such rights. It is supplemented by Patent Regulations which provide further details and prescribe forms in respect of various applications relating to patents.

THE TRADEMARKS ACT CAP. 401 OF THE LAWS OF ZAMBIA

The Act establishes and confers powers on the Trade Marks Office, provides procedures and requirements for registration, assignment and transfer of trademarks, rights accruing from registration and their protection. Detailed procedures and prescribed forms are provided in Trade Marks Regulations made under the Act.

REGISTERED DESIGNS ACT CAP. 402 OF THE LAWS OF ZAMBIA

The Act establishes and confers powers on the Designs Office, provides procedures and requirements for registration of industrial designs, rights arising from registration and the assignment and transfer of such rights and their protection. Detailed procedures and prescribed forms are provided in Registered Designs Regulations made under the Act.