According to Art. 51 of the Data Protection Act, a data controller and data processor must retain personal information for as long as it is used for the specific purpose for which it was collected. Additionally, the information must be kept for a period of at least one year thereafter or for any other period that may be prescribed as long as it remains relevant to that purpose.

Zambia has not signed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.

Zambia has not signed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.

Zambia has no rules applicable to the protection of trade secrets.

It is reported that there is an obligation for passive infrastructure sharing in Zambia to deliver telecom services to end users. It is practised in both the mobile and fixed sectors based on commercial agreements.

It is reported that the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) Board conducts mandatory screening of all foreign investments. Investment applications undergo thorough due diligence to assess factors such as job creation, human resource development, the project's export orientation, its potential environmental impact, the extent of technology transfer, and any other considerations deemed relevant by the Board.

Zambia is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Zambia has a clear regime of copyright exceptions that follows the fair dealing model, which enables the lawful use of copyrighted work by others without obtaining permission. Section 21 of the Copyright Act enumerates a wide range of exceptions, including (i) use for private study or personal research by an individual, provided it is not for profit; (ii) criticism or review of the work, or any other work, with proper acknowledgement; and (iii) reporting of current events, among others.

It is reported that copyright is not adequately enforced online in Zambia. It is reported that copyright protection is considered limited, particularly as it does not extend to computer applications. Additionally, among the many pirated goods in Zambia, the most prevalent are DVDs, CDs, and audio-visual software.

Zambia is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).

According to Art. 39.4 of the Public Procurement Act, a procuring entity must use open international bidding when goods, works, or non-consulting services are not competitively available from at least three suppliers within the Republic of Zambia. Furthermore, Art. 39.5 stipulates that participation in open international bidding is open to all bidders, including citizen bidders, local bidders, and foreign bidders partnered with citizen bidders or citizen suppliers. Foreign bidders participating under Subsection 5 are required to partner with a citizen supplier or citizen bidder.

According to Art. 41 of the Public Procurement Act, procuring entities must use open national selection as the default method for procuring consulting services. However, open international selection must be used in cases where (i) consulting services are not competitively available from at least three suppliers within the Republic of Zambia; (ii) regional or international participation is required under an agreement entered into by the Government; or (iii) the procuring entity operates in a specialised industry, and the consulting services needed are of a specialised nature.

Section 91 of the Public Procurement Act establishes a preference and reservation scheme for citizens or local suppliers, as well as bidders offering goods, works, or services with local content. Certain procurement opportunities are also reserved for target groups, including SMEs, women, youths, and persons with disabilities. Additionally, greater preference is granted to joint ventures or associations involving citizens or local suppliers than to foreign suppliers subcontracting them. The margin of preference to be applied is not predetermined; instead, it is set by the Public Procurement Authority in collaboration with the Citizens' Economic Empowerment Commission and other relevant government departments and statutory bodies in each tender procedure.

According to the National Local Content Strategy 2018-2022, government policy mandates a minimum of 35% utilisation of local inputs and/or products in the production and provision of goods and services across the economy.