





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, Attorney General’s Office Respond to Issues Raised by Stakeholders in the Copyright Bill
The Deputy Attorney General, Rt. Hon. Jackson Kafuuzi Karugaba, on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office, on Thursday led a delegation to the Parliamentary Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to respond to concerns raised by stakeholders on the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (No. 14 of 2025).
In his presentation, Hon. Kafuuzi noted that the Bill represents an important step toward strengthening Uganda’s copyright regime and aligning it with modern realities, particularly in the digital space. He emphasized the government’s commitment to balancing the interests of creators, service providers, and the general public.

At his request, Registrar General Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho of the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) presented detailed clarifications on specific clauses that had generated debate during stakeholder consultations. She explained the rationale behind Clause 17, which introduces Section 49A to empower the registrar or rights holders to issue takedown notices against unauthorized use of copyrighted works. Failure to comply may attract a fine of up to UGX 40 million or seven years’ imprisonment.
Ms. Kainobwisho stressed that requiring a Certificate of Registration as prima facie proof of ownership ensures accountability and guards against frivolous or malicious takedown requests.
Hon. Kafuuzi and the URSB team assured the committee, chaired by Hon. Stephen Mugabi Baka, that stakeholder concerns would continue to guide refinements to the Bill. They reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting creators while encouraging innovation and fair use in Uganda’s copyright ecosystem.