KELLY NJOMBO, Lusaka
THE Patents and Companies Registration Authority (PACRA) is advocating the enactment of the Layout design of integrated circuits (ICs) bill that will enable Government attract potential foreign investment in Zambia through the development of technology and electronic appliances.
The layout design of ICs bill is aimed at protecting various electronic designs thereby, stimulating and improving the creation of new business models locally.
PACRA assistant registrar for intellectual property Benson Mpalo said the protection of the ICs will in the long run create business opportunities, foster economic growth.
Mr Mpalo said this when he made a submission before the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Affairs, Energy and Labour on Wednesday chaired by Nchanga Member of Parliament Wylbur Simuusa, that the layout bill presents an opportunity to strengthen the entire semi-conductor.
The bill will also promote and encourage the lost art of tinkering with electronics components among youths and the students in the technical learning institutions.
“Small-scale local IC companies that are less financially-equipped may find it profitable to licence their protected layout design to foreign companies that have the capacity to commercialise them thereby, bringing in remunerative royalty income for businesses and foreign exchange,”
“ICs can easily be copied by making replicas of a layout design, for this reason it is necessary to protect the layout design to intellect and resources that would have been spent in coming up with such a component,” Mr Mpalo said.
He noted that the Bill is properly crafted to promote technological innovation and creativity in the electronics sector.
Zambia cannot afford to lag behind when the global technical system is undergoing a profound transformation based on new information technologies.
“Every society has to find ways and means to innovate that correspond to its needs and capabilities, this bill will bring monetary rewards to [those] involved in the creation of layout designs,” he said.