
Mawokota North MP Hon. Hilary Kiyaga, popularly known as Dr. Hilderman, has called for the establishment of an independent copyright authority to ensure that content creators can fully access income generated from their work.
Speaking in Parliament, Kiyaga warned that without proper management, qualified supervision, and strict regulation of Collective Management Organizations (CMOs), many artists will remain locked out of vital revenue channels. He stressed that CMOs must operate transparently, with clear and accountable systems for distributing income to rights holders.
“In every country where copyright is working effectively, there is an independent body managing it and its related services. But here, it’s under the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), and even if you go there, it’s just a desk,” Kiyaga noted.
He further pointed out that the Formation Centre is already gazetted under the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act, yet the government’s proposed bill does not reflect this. He pledged to present strong justification for creating a stand-alone agency to oversee copyright administration.
The legislator also acknowledged Hon. Racheal Magoola, who seconded his position and leads the Parliamentary Forum for Creatives, as well as Mr. Mbabazi Norman, a copyright advocate who has been instrumental in pushing for amendments to the bill.
Kiyaga’s intervention comes amid growing calls from Uganda’s creative sector for stronger legal and institutional frameworks to protect intellectual property rights and boost the earnings of local artists.