The government has upgraded its copyright management system to effectively collect royalties for performing artists. Minister of State for Culture, Peace Mutuuzo, announced that the system can now monitor how frequently artists’ work is used.
“We have to upgrade the system for it to be able to follow you. Those who are using it as ringtones, those who are using copyright on a media platform, like on radios and television, those who are using it in hotels, we are now upgrading to put a device that will be able to monitor how often they use it,” Mutuuzo said.
She added that negotiations have been done with user facilities to pay a specific amount of money annually, which will be distributed to artists.
“But also, since we can now monitor how many times Juiana Kanyomozi’s song has been played on NTV or has been played on somebody’s phone as a ringtone, we’ll be able to put certain percentages for each person’s music for as long as they have uploaded their work on that digital platform system. The realities can be collected with ease,” she said.
Mutuuzo noted that digitalization has led to the evolution of copyright infringement, with users shifting from physical media to digital systems. Previously, artists lost out on business, only earning money when they performed live.
Speaking at the Uganda One Festival, Mutuuzo disclosed that the government has set aside Shs28 billion to capitalize creative artists’ businesses, with some SACCOs already benefiting.
“For anybody who wants to create a show or make a show, you can borrow the money from your own SACCOs because each of them have associations. We are going to develop their SACCOs and within the associations we are going to give them money to capitalize their business,” she said.
Solomon Aboda, National Organizing Committee Chairperson, said the festival involved creatives from all regions, showcasing Uganda’s rich heritage through art, music, and culture. The Uganda One Festival is expected to boost the country’s economy, with the creative sector contributing over Shs2 trillion annually.
Sylvia Awor, Director Operation Wealth Creation, said plans are underway to hold regional festivals that will climax into a national festival.
“We are going to make sure that we contribute to the economy of Uganda as we take part in the tenfold growth strategy,” she said.