Patent protection in Zambia

Costs, deadlines, technology markets and law firms for Zambia

Zambia

Zambia: taking a PCT application to grant costs an estimated US$1,141, plus about US$5,848 in renewal fees over the patent's life. The PCT national phase for Zambia must be entered within 30 months of the earliest priority date. An ARIPO patent can also designate Zambia together with other ARIPO member states. It is also one of the world's leading exporters of unrefined copper and nickel ore.

Population21.9m
Economy (GDP)US$29bn
PCT national phase entries a year11
RouteNational phase

Patent protection in Zambia can also be obtained through ARIPO: one ARIPO patent that designates Zambia and other member states. The figures on this page count only applications filed directly with Zambia's own patent office, so they may understate its market. See ARIPO.

A leading exporter

  • #1 in the world for unrefined copper - US$7.4bn of exports (38% of the world's)
  • #2 in the world for nickel ore - US$723m of exports (14% of the world's)
Zambia: the economy by sector (US$bn)
Zambia's share of Sub-Saharan Africa's economy, by sector (%)
Zambia: its leading and key exports (2024, US$m)

Goods where Zambia is among the world's 3 largest exporters, has at least 15% of world exports, or that make up at least 25% of its own exports - of at least US$500m a year.

Questions about patents in Zambia

How much does a patent cost in Zambia?

Our estimate is about US$1,141 to take a PCT application to grant in Zambia. That is about US$600 in official fees and US$541 in attorney fees. By stage: filing US$721, search US$120, examination request US$180 and grant / issuance / publication US$120. Renewal fees over the patent's life add an estimated US$5,848. These are estimates only, for a standard application (10 claims, 30 pages, a company applicant): the actual cost depends on the law firm and the application. Request a quote from a law firm on this site for an exact price.

What is the PCT national phase deadline for Zambia, and which routes are there?

The PCT national phase for Zambia must be entered within 30 months of the earliest priority date. An ARIPO patent can also designate Zambia together with other ARIPO member states.

What does Zambia's economy make and export?

Zambia's GDP is US$28.9bn, of which services US$16.5bn, industry US$10.2bn (of which manufacturing US$2.5bn) and agriculture US$1.2bn. Spending a year: households US$12.2bn and health care US$1.7bn. Zambia's exports of goods came to US$14.5bn in 2024. Its 10 largest exports were unrefined copper (US$7.4bn, 51% of its exports, #1 in the world), refined copper (US$2.4bn, 16% of its exports, #10 in the world), nickel ore (US$723m, 5% of its exports, #2 in the world), unmanufactured tobacco (US$351m, 2% of its exports, #11 in the world), precious and semi-precious stones (US$331m, 2% of its exports, #7 in the world), electricity (US$250m, 2% of its exports, #40 in the world), cement (US$164m, 1% of its exports, #24 in the world), soft drinks (US$140m, 1% of its exports, #39 in the world), ferro-alloys (US$137m, 1% of its exports, #36 in the world) and synthetic stones (US$119m, 1% of its exports, #5 in the world). Where products are made, a patent there can stop infringing copies being made, not only being sold.

Law firms for Zambia

No law firms are listed for this country yet.

Is your firm missing? Add your law firm

Find the best countries for your patent

Rank every country for your invention, see the costs and request a quote from a law firm.

Find the best countries for your patent

Patent publications and PCT national phase entries: averages over recent years. Exports: customs trade statistics; re-export hubs are left out. Costs are estimates.