





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

Parliament nears Approval of Copyright Law Amendments
Uganda’s creative sector is a step closer to stronger legal protection as Parliament intensifies consultations on the long-awaited Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
Finally, the highly anticipated amendments to the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025, are nearing completion. Last week, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) team, led by Board Member Annie Katushabe, who represented the Board Chairman, H.E. Amb. Francis Butagira, along with Registrar General Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho, appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to present their position on the proposed reforms.
The Bill, earlier introduced by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao, has now reached the stakeholder consultative stage. This phase is critical in refining the legislation to ensure it is practical, enforceable, and beneficial to all players in Uganda’s creative industry.

The engagement focused on aligning the Bill with current legal frameworks, meeting international Standards, and tackling pressing challenges such as online exploitation of creative works. Discussions also emphasized the need for clear regulation of collective management societies, fairer royalty structures, and improved enforcement mechanisms to protect both creators and rights holders.
In the meantime, the bureau continues to strengthen the copyright ecosystem, supporting the effective operation of Collective Management Societies (CMOs) and introducing measures to promote fairness, equity, and value for their members.
Once enacted, the Bill is expected to modernize Uganda’s copyright regime, safeguard creative content in the digital era, and stimulate growth in the country’s creative economy.