Uganda gets a new Intellectual Property policy

Presently, Uganda is still one of the lowest-ranked countries in Africa in terms of intellectual property applications. According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), by 2012, Uganda had only two active patent applications (compared to 70 in Rwanda, 256 in Kenya and 7,444 in South Africa).

The government spokesperson and executive director of the Uganda Media Centre, Ofwono Opondo, welcomed the idea and said copyright law implementation would confer several benefits to the artists.

“If you are an artist and people play songs at your wedding without permission, it might constitute an offence because that is your property,” he told the local media. “One of the targets of the policy is to tighten protection of IP rights and protect the arts industry, which is fast-growing but also too exposed.

"People who are dubbing other people’s work on the streets commit a criminal offence. They must pay for something. This is the direction all developed countries have taken.”

James Wasul, the secretary general of the Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS) - a body tasked with the collection of music royalties - said that the new policy makes copyright infringement enforcement easier.

“The laws are there, but without a policy, little can be achieved. It will now make our work easier by encouraging the government to enforce compliance,” he said.

If well implemented, the new policy will give a lifeline to an otherwise struggling sector and strengthen the enforcement of IP rights.

According to the Enforcing Intellectual Property Rights in Uganda 2014 report by the WIPO - a global, specialised United Nation body responsible for encouraging creative activity and to promote the protection of intellectual property - the enforcement of IP rights requires due diligence by intellectual property owners, the availability of intellectual property resources and access to an effective justice system.

This comes after the newly appointed leaders of the Uganda Music Association announced that they would work with various stakeholders, including UPRS, towards reducing piracy and ensuring that musicians get value for their music in the form of royalties payments.