Patents and Companies Registration Agency Act, No. 4 of 2020 Country/Territory Zambia Document type Legislation Date 2020 Source FAO, FAOLEX Long titleAn Act to continue the existence of the Patents and Companies Registration Agency and re-define its functions; re-constitute the Board of the Agency and provide for its functions; repeal and replace the Patents and Companies Registration Agency Act, 2010; and provide for matters connected with, or incidental to the foregoing. Subject Agricultural & rural development, General Keyword Intellectual property rights/patents Offences/penalties Agricultural development Business/industry/corporations Governance Institution Registration Geographical area Africa, Eastern Africa, Landlocked Developing Nations, Least Developed Countries Abstract The Act repeals the Patents and Companies Registration Act, 2010. It continues with the already established Patents and Companies Registration Agency established under the repealed act. The Agency is established as a body corporate with legal personality. The functions of the Agency are to; (a) administer the Trade Marks Act, the Copyright and Performance Rights Act, the Companies (Certificates Validation)Act, the Registration of Business Names Act, the Moveable Property (Security Interests) Act, the Layout-designs of Integrated Circuits Act, the Protection of Traditional Knowledge, Genetic Resources and Expressions of Folklore Act, the Industrial Designs Act, 2016, the Patents Act, the Corporate Insolvency Act, and the Companies Act; (b) receive and investigate any complaint of alleged or suspected breach of this Act or the Acts referred to in paragraph (a) and, subject to the directives of the Director of Public Prosecutions, prosecute offences under those Acts; (c) collect, collate and disseminate information on the law relating to the Acts referred to in paragraph (a), among others. The Agency is empowered to determine and levy fees with respect to the Act. The Act provides for Board which shall perform the following functions, among other things; (a) promote good governance of the Agency; (b) formulate the policies, programmes and strategies of the Agency; (c) approve the annual work plan and activity reports of the Agency;(d) approve the annual budget estimates and financial statements of the Agency; and (e) monitor and evaluate the performance of the Agency against budgets and plans. Full text English