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The Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) has expressed concerns that there is a huge gap between men and women entering the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields in recent years.
PACRA acting Registrar, Wilson Banda, said there was still a large gap between the number of women and men entering the fields of technology, maths and science.
He said this on Wednesday at the commemoration of the world intellectual property day in Lusaka.
“For much of modern history, and certainly in the early days of granting intellectual property rights, the formal roles from which it might arise were closed to women. Thankfully, today, this view has changed, and there are now more female inventors and creators,” Banda said.
PACRA Board Chairperson, Allan Mwaba Chungu, said the agency was currently in the process of implementing an online registration system for Trademarks, called Front Office as it digitalises its services.
Chungu explained that this online tool was part of its strategies to embrace technology, innovation and creativity.
He said the tool which would allow online registration for trademarks was made possible because of technology, innovation and creativity.
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Chungu said not too long ago, PACRA introduced another online search tool called TMView which helped local entrepreneurs and businesses to effectively and conveniently access trade marks sitting on the PACRA database.
“The TMview search tool helps local entrepreneurs and businesses to effectively and conveniently access trade marks sitting on the PACRA database to determine, on the face of it, if a particular trade mark would be available for registration.
“The Agency is also in the process of implementing an online registration system for Trademarks, called Front Office. All this is possible because of innovation and creativity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Chipoka Mulenga, said Government recognised the importance of intellectual property for economic growth.
Specifically, Mulenga said, this was a tool for building technological capacity, that enhanced competitiveness in markets and, therefore, created s potential for increased trade by the country.
He stated that a strong and effective legal and policy framework for the protection of intellectual property rights encouraged technology building and transfer to increase trade in goods and services.
“My ministry is diligently working to ensure that we enhance the legal framework for the protection of intellectual property rights. Specifically, work to revise the trademarks act and the copyright and performance rights act has started in order to address challenges that have emerged over the years relating to advancements in technology.
“This is aimed at creating a conducive environment that will lead to greater protection of the young inventors, innovators and creators in line with the revised national intellectual property policy,” he said.
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