Artistes in Uganda have gone to the country’s parliament to ask for changes to the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act of 2006. They want to safeguard their rights to their creations from being used without their permission.
The Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF) presented their request to Parliament. They want the law to be updated to match new technology and global standards.
The artists are concerned that the current rules about how money is shared from call-back tunes hurt them. They say most of the money goes to phone companies instead of the artists who made the music.
To fix this, they want the charges for call-back tunes to change. They suggest that 60% of the money should go to the artists, and the remaining 40% should be split between the government and phone companies.
The artists also suggest adding a fee on devices used to copy music, and they want the money from this fee to be divided equally between the government and the creators of the music.
The Federation recommends a fine of at least five million shillings for anyone found guilty of using an artiste’s work without permission because it hurts the artist’s income. They also want stricter punishments for TV and radio stations that use pirated content. They suggest a fine of at least five million shillings for copyright violations.
The Federation believes it’s important to protect artists’ rights in the digital age. They want to encourage digital content creation and ensure fair payment when their work is used online.
They also propose that broadcasters should use Ugandan music and Ugandan talent in their advertisements to support the local music industry. They suggest that 90% of airtime should be dedicated to Ugandan music.
The Uganda National Musicians Federation was founded in 2023 and is currently led by Eddy Kenzo. It aims to bring together musicians from different backgrounds in Uganda so they can work together and share resources.
Parliament has already given permission to introduce a bill to change the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act. The bill, brought forward by Dr. Hilderman, also known as Hillary Kiyaga, is waiting to be discussed.
Deputy Speaker Tayebwa recognizes the importance of supporting the music industry in Uganda, as it’s a significant part of the economy. According to the Uganda Performance Rights Society, the creative industry provides jobs for over 400,000 people and contributes more than 140 billion Shillings to the economy each year. They expect this number to grow to over 500,000 people with an annual income of 280 billion Shillings by 2030.
