President Museveni has signed the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025 into law to bring smiles onto faces of creatives.
The bill was among the eight legislations that the president assented to according to State House.
The Copyright Bill was passed by parliament in March.
The law directs that originators of creative works including musicians and authors, receive better remuneration for their productions.
The act also stipulates that an equitable remuneration be paid to performers and producers if a sound recording or audio-visual fixation is published for commercial advertisement purposes or used for broadcasting or public performances.
It adds that the remuneration shall be paid through a payment system established under the National Payment Systems Act.
The Registrar shall monitor the use of a sound recording or audio-visual fixation for commercial advertisement purposes, broadcasting or other communication to the public, and send periodic reports to the minister.
The function of collecting societies has also been expanded to include the mandate to collect and pay royalties to its members or the owner of a copyright, a move aimed at promoting equitable remuneration for content creators.
The amended law also provides that the Registrar shall not issue an order or notice for blocking, taking down or obstructing of infringing content unless the owner of the copyright work has a certificate of registration as proof of ownership.
The new law introduces stricter penalties for people who publish, broadcast, distribute or reproduce work without the authorisation of or license from the rights owner or his or her agent.
Such people, upon conviction, could face a jail sentence of up to 10 years, or be caused to pay up to 2,500 currency points (Shs50 million), or receive both punishments in a sentence by a judge of the Commercial Court.
For a person found selling or buying any apparatus, knowing that it is to be used for making infringing copies of work, commits an offence and is liable on conviction, to a fine not exceeding 2,000 currency points (Shs40 million) or imprisonment not exceeding seven years or both.
The development will be hugely welcomed by creatives who for long have complained of not benefitting from their art.
