Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Christopher Yaluma has revealed that the copyright management has been moved from the Ministry of Information and Communication and Broadcasting Services to the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA).
PACRA Chief Executive Officer Anthony Bwembya noted that the pronouncement by government to shift the copyright office from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services to its offices will help introduce more effective methods of enforcing copyright rights in the country.
Mr. Bwembya cautioned perpetrators of pirated music and other intellectual property to abstain from the vice as they risk facing the wrath of the law.
‘’I want to warn dealers in pirated products that they will not have it easy.  Allowing the sale of pirated products discourages musicians from composing songs including composers themselves because what’s the purpose of composing a song when you are not going to benefit anything,’’ said Mr. Bwembya.
He added that the agency in partnership with the intellectual property office of the Zambia Police will embark on a programme to curtail the pirating of music.
He further said the movement of the copyright office to Pacra is an opportunity for the agency to introduce efficiency in the enforcement of copyright rights.
The copyright office at Pacra registers original expressions of copyright in its various forms such as books, programs, films, architectural drawings and sound recordings among other works.
Zambia joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Intellectual Property Day which fell on Friday 26th April 2019 under the theme ‘Reach for Gold, IP and Sports.’