URN.According to Kiyaga, the current Copyright and Neighboring Act does not grant due benefits to originators of works, a trend that his new Bill will cure.
Mawokota North Member of Parliament, Hillary Kiyaga has been granted leave of Parliament to introduce the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
Kiyaga sought leave of the House during the plenary sitting of Wednesday that was chaired by Speaker Anita Among. He revealed that the current Copyright and Neighboring Act does not grant due benefits to originators of works, a trend that his new Bill will cure.
“As an artist, I know you are fed up seeing musicians on the streets as beggars; it is because their works are not protected. It is, therefore, the duty of this House to protect their works”, said Kiyaga, famously known as Dr. Hilderman.
The Bill proposes penalties and sanctions on infringement on copy-right works, a task, Kiyaga said has proved tedious and unattainable for most authors in the country. Kiyaga noted that with the passage of time, some aspects of the Copyright and Neighboring Act have become outdated, necessitating an amendment.
Abdul Byakatonda, the Workers’ Representative, who seconded the motion said the amendment is timely. He said that the music industry is a potential foreign exchange earner for the country.
“This is the industry which is very attractive to everyone but in Uganda, you find the holder of the copyright is miserable when their rights are reproduced and sold elsewhere,” said Byakatonda.
Rachel Magoola, the Bugweri District Woman MP and former musician said the bill will streamline works that qualify for copyright protection including political speeches, interviews, and speeches delivered during judicial proceedings.
The proposed legislation will attract revenue from ringback tunes and devices used in the reproduction of protected copyright works.
