On 26 December 2025, the Trade Marks Act No. 11 of 2023 came
into operation, replacing the outdated 1958 Act, which is more than
60 years old.
Although new Regulations remain in the works, for now, the new
Act will be read together with the old Trade Mark Regulations of
1994. The relevant official fees also remain unchanged.
The introduction of the new Trade Marks Act in Zambia is a much
welcomed and overdue development, aligning Zambia with
international standards.
The new Act introduces protection for service marks, collective
and certification marks, well-known marks, and geographical
indications, and expands the definition of a trade mark to include
non-traditional marks. The Act also allows multiclass applications,
the division of applications, and honest concurrent use
applications, making the registration system more flexible and
commercially relevant.
