10 years in Jail for Anyone Caught illegally Distributing Music – The New Copyright Amendment Bill

In a Huge move to transform Uganda’s creative economy, Parliament has officially passed the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025, which now awaits the signature of President Yoweri Museveni, to seal the fight on intellectual property laws.

The bill arrives as a lifeline for musicians, filmmakers, and authors who have long complained that the 2006 law was “toothless” in the face of digital-age piracy and unfair revenue sharing.

The new law introduces aggressive deterrents against intellectual property theft. Individuals convicted of pirating or illegally distributing creative works now face up to 10 years in prison, alongside massive financial penalties.

Beyond jail time, the bill grants the Registrar of Copyright unprecedented “take-down” powers, allowing artists to bypass lengthy court battles and directly order digital platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook to remove infringing content.

The most fiercely debated section, Clause 9, addresses the financial grievances of performers. Under the new framework, broadcasters (radio and TV), bars, clubs, and streaming platforms will be legally required to pay enhanced royalties for the public performance of local works.

The bill also fixes a long-standing dispute over Caller Ring-Back Tones (CRBT), mandating a specific revenue split:

• 60% to authors and performers.
• 31% to telecommunication companies.
• 8.5% to aggregators.

Recognizing that many artists cannot afford high-end legal representation, the bill grants the Registrar of Copyright quasi-judicial powers. This means copyright disputes can now be settled quickly and affordably through the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) rather than through the backlogged formal court system.

The eyes of the industry are now on State House. Once signed by the President and gazetted, the URSB is expected to roll out a nationwide sensitization campaign to help creators register their works and understand their new rights.