President Yoweri Museveni has signed into law a new copyright reform aimed at giving Ugandan creatives stronger protection and a fairer share of earnings, especially in the digital space.
The Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Act, 2026—passed by Parliament on March 17—updates the country’s outdated 2006 law to better deal with issues like online piracy and the spread of content on digital platforms.
One of the biggest changes is tougher punishment for copyright abuse. Anyone found guilty of infringement now risks a fine of up to Shs50 million, a prison sentence of up to 10 years, or both.
The law also introduces quicker ways to stop piracy. Copyright owners and the Registrar can now order online platforms to take down content that has been shared without permission, making it easier to control illegal distribution.
While copyright protection remains automatic, creators will now need to register their work with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) if they want to fully enforce their rights—such as issuing takedown requests.
To help artists earn more from their work, the government will set up a system to collect and distribute royalties through the national payment framework. This is expected to bring more transparency and consistency in how creatives are paid.
Another major safeguard limits how long creators can sign away their rights. Any copyright transfer will only last for 20 years, after which ownership returns to the original creator.
Overall, the new law is expected to strengthen Uganda’s creative industry by protecting artists, musicians, filmmakers and other creators, while helping them make more money from their work both at home and internationally.
