KAMPALA – In a significant ruling for intellectual property rights, Uganda’s High Court has ordered MK Publishers Ltd to pay author Annette Najjemba Shs 100 million (approximately $26,000) in damages and royalties for illegally selling her children’s stories to the Government of Rwanda.
The judgment was delivered by the Commercial Division of the High Court, which found the publishing firm guilty of blatantly infringing on Najjemba’s copyright.
The case centered on Najjemba’s literary works, which were compiled in a manuscript titled “Our Folktales.” According to court information, MK Publishers altered and reproduced these stories without the author’s knowledge or consent, packaging them as part of “MK Audio Stories” for Rwandan primary schools.
The court heard that the publisher profited millions of shillings from the deal with the Rwandan government, while the original creator of the content, Ms. Najjemba, received nothing.
The ruling highlights a clear case of a publisher exploiting an author’s work for significant commercial gain without permission or compensation. By altering the stories and reproducing them in a different format, the actions of MK Publishers were deemed a direct violation of Najjemba’s exclusive copyright.
This verdict is being seen as a strong affirmation of creators’ rights in Uganda, sending a clear message to publishers and distributors that unauthorized use of artistic and literary works will have legal and financial consequences.
The Shs 100 million award is intended to compensate Ms. Najjemba for both the damages suffered and the owed royalties from the profitable, yet unauthorized, sale of her work.
An industry source noted that the case could set a precedent for other Ugandan creators seeking to protect their intellectual property from unauthorized commercial exploitation.
