





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 of Uganda Passes Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025
Uganda’s Parliament has enacted the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025, a key milestone in strengthening protections for artists and other creatives.
Parliament passed the Bill during a plenary session on 17th to 18th March 2026 under the stewardship of Rt. Hon. Speaker Anita Annet Among, and will now be presented to the President for assent before it becomes law.
The Bill was first read in Parliament on 13th May 2025, beginning a long legislative journey that involved detailed debates, committee scrutiny, and widespread input from stakeholders in the creative sector.
The amendments modernise the country’s copyright framework and introduce stiff penalties for infringement, including fines of up to UGX 50 million and imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both, for various copyright‑related offences.
It also provides stronger legal protection for literary, scientific and artistic works and includes new provisions on royalties, digital protections and enforcement measures.
As the national intellectual property office, URSB officials attended key parliamentary readings, provided technical support, and welcomed the reforms that enhance copyright enforcement and royalty collection. Once the law is in force, URSB will be central to implementing the changes, including overseeing registration, supporting collecting societies and guiding artists and businesses on compliance.
The new law is expected to curb piracy, improve earnings for creators, and bring Uganda’s copyright regime into closer alignment with international standards, benefiting authors, performers, filmmakers and other rights holders across the creative economy.