





Chief Guest Dr. Mary Teopista (Center), Amb. Francis Butagira, Registrar General Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho and URSB board members pose for a photo at the URSB ISO Certification External Stakeholders celebration
Hon. Nobert Mao congratulates the Registrar General, Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho, and Board member, Ms. Lydia A. Sekkabira on the ISO 9001:2015 certification milestone
Mr. Hamidu Tumuhimbise, a senior Registration Officer, attends to a client during the UEB claimants exercise at the Uganda Business Facilitation Center, Kololo
A delegation from PACRA led by the Deputy Registrar Mr. Chewe Peter Chilufya (Center) visited URSB for a 3 days benchmarking visit on the Intellectual Property Registry on how systems operate, the digital improvements implemented and how these reforms contribute to reduced turnaround time
A delegation from UNOC visits URSB to benchmark on the Digital Transformation Journey.
Director General WIPO Mr. Daren Tang, Minister of Justice Hon. Nobert Mao, The Registrar General Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho, URSB Board members a delegation from WIPO pause for a photo at the Uganda Business Facilitation Center during the DG’s mission to Uganda

URSB envoy shares transformative insights from INTA annual meeting 2025
The recently concluded International Trademark Association (INTA) Annual Meeting 2025 in San Diego,
California, has left a lasting impact on the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), with the
organisation’s representative Mark Tugume, returning home with a wealth of transformative insights.
The event, which gathered over ten thousand IP professionals under the theme “The Business of IP,”
provided a global platform to engage with leading experts, explore cutting-edge trends, and chart a path forward for Uganda’s Intellectual Property ecosystem.
“The INTA Annual Meeting was a truly eye-opening experience,” said Mr. Tugume. “The discussions and
learnings have not only inspired us but have also ignited a renewed sense of purpose in driving IP
innovation and protection in Uganda and across Africa.”
One of the key takeaways was the importance of modernisation and efficiency in IP administration. He highlighted the success stories of Canada’s Trademarks Opposition Board and the harmonised practices from the UK and Australian IP offices, which have leveraged technology and streamlined processes to
reduce backlogs and enhance client services.
“These models demonstrate the immense potential of data-driven decision-making, virtual proceedings, and client-centric digital transformation,” Tugume noted. Tugume also highlighted WIPO’s game-changing eMadrid platform, which enables trademark owners to manage their global portfolios in a single, integrated workspace. “We are eager to explore the feasibility of adopting similar solutions at the bureau to provide our clients with a seamless, world-class experience.