Uganda’s Parliament has adopted the amended Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Bill of 2025 during plenary sessions held on 17–18 March 2026. The Bill will come into effect following President’s approval.

The new Bill strengthens Uganda’s copyright framework by introducing enhanced protections for literary, scientific, and artistic works, alongside new provisions on royalties, digital safeguards, and enforcement. Additionally, the Bill introduces strict penalties for infringement, including fines of up to 50 million UGX (approximately 13,300 USD) and imprisonment of up to 10 years.

Uganda’s Registration Services Bureau (URSB), as the national intellectual property office, played a key technical role throughout the legislative process and will be central to implementation as it will oversee registration, support copyright collectives, and guide stakeholders on compliance.

The new law is expected to curb piracy, improve earnings for creators, and bring Uganda’s copyright framework into closer alignment with international standards, benefiting authors, performers, filmmakers, and other rights holders across the creative sector.