Uganda’s High Court has directed MK Publishers Ltd to compensate author Annette Najjemba with Shs 100 million in damages and unpaid royalties after finding the company guilty of copyright infringement.
The ruling, delivered by the Commercial Division of the High Court, followed Najjemba’s complaint that MK Publishers had sold her children’s stories to the Government of Rwanda without her consent.
Court documents reveal that Najjemba’s literary work — a collection of traditional stories compiled in a manuscript titled “Our Folktales” — was used and altered in the production of MK Audio Stories distributed to Rwandan primary schools. The publisher reportedly earned millions from the deal, while the author received nothing in return.
In her lawsuit, Najjemba accused the publishing company of violating her intellectual property rights by reproducing and commercializing her stories without acknowledgment or payment. The court agreed, emphasizing that authors retain full ownership of their creative work unless explicitly transferred through a legal agreement.
The decision has been hailed as a landmark ruling in the protection of writers’ rights in Uganda’s publishing industry. Legal experts say it sends a clear message to publishers and content producers about the importance of respecting copyright laws and fair compensation for creators.
Neither MK Publishers nor their legal representatives had issued a public statement on the matter by press time.
