EALS: Government Needs To Preserve And Protect Artistic Works

Last updated Oct 20, 2022

By Kyeyune Ali._

On Wednesday 19th, October 2022, at Hotel Africana, the chairman of the Technology, Media and Telecommunication Committee of the East African Law Society (EALS), who are also partner in the KTA Advocates, said that the policies on intellectual property as business in the country are still wanting, and this makes the innovators to lose wealth.

Intellectual property is one of the investments that have helped many Ugandans to earn a living, but at the same time, the innovators lose a lot of wealth due to the inadequacy of clear policy guidelines and law that can help to regulate the sector.

The rights of authors of literary and artistic works such as books and other writings, musical compositions, paintings, sculpture, computer programs and films are supposed to be protected by the copyright law and policies, but in Uganda, they instead suffer losses due to lack of implementation.

“The main social purpose of protection of copyright and related rights is to encourage and reward creative work,” Kenneth Muhangi, the committee chairman, said.

Mr Muhangi further noted that a functioning intellectual property regime should also facilitate the transfer of technology in the form of foreign direct investment, joint ventures and licensing.

The Head of Digital Banking at Equity Bank, Mr Sham Ddungu, said that his bank is partnering with the KTA Advocates to help the intellectual owners and innovators gain more from their innovations.

Mr Ddungu said that the innovators in small businesses, like music composers and computer programmers, need to be protected, and KTA Advocates gives the green light in helping such innovators, and that is why the bank has come out to partner with such laws.

Mr Muhangi, who is also the organizer of the two-day event, said that the Intellectual Property and Technology Symposium, due next week at Imperial Resort Hotel Munyonyo, will be a practical session, with competitions for young entrepreneurs in Uganda’s tech space, and will also seek to attract laws from the East African Community.