Licensing Agents Training Workshop

Agency licensing training scheduled from 29th November to 2nd December 2022 at UPRS offices Bukoto. The Copyright Law & The CMO Rationale is the main theme.

In the framework of a collective administration system, owners of rights authorize collective administration organizations to administer their rights, that is, to monitor the use of the works concerned, negotiate with prospective users, give them licenses against appropriate fees and, under appropriate conditions, collect such fees and distribute them among the owners of rights. This can be considered as the definition of collective administration.

 

 

Meeting with Director General ARIPO

Meeting with the Director General of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) Mr. Bemanya Twebaze to lobby for support in advancing copyright administration.
From Left to Right: Mr. Kalibbala Phillip Nyanja URSB IP Department, Ms. Morrine Nassuna CEO of UPRS, Mr. Bemanya Twebaze Director General ARIPO, Ms. Nambasa Jane CEO of UFMI, and Mr. Amadu Bah Copyright Department of ARIPO.

Shaping the copyright and related rights landscape in Africa.

 The ongoing sub-regional conference organized by The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) under the theme: Shaping the copyright and related rights landscape in Africa. The conference that started on 19th October 2022 will end on 21st October 2022. The participants include among others; the CMO representatives from various ARIPO member states and officers from their respective countries’ intellectual property offices. Among the key issues to be discussed are; the international and national perspectives on the role of data for copyright and related rights, commercialization of creative assets at the national level, and open discussions on the importance of statistics for advancing the copyright Agenda.
UPRS was represented by Ms. Morrine Nassuna the Acting CEO.

Training workshop for UPRS Licensing Agents by IFPI and SAMPRA

UPRS-TUMUDA PATNERSHIP PRESS RELEASE

What is the role of UPRS as a Music CMO (Collective Management Organization)?
Two days Training workshop for UPRS Licensing Agents by IFPI and SAMPRA at Esella Country Hotel, Kira, April 6th to 7th 2022.
1. We monitor when, where and what members’ works are used.
2. We negotiate tariffs and other music usage conditions with users on behalf of our members (local and international members).
3. Furthermore, we license the usage of protected works on behalf of both local and foreign Members (through Reciprocal Representation Agreements).
3. We collect the fees from users and distribute these to the rights holders (Both Local and International) whose works have been used.
 

Uganda Performing Right Society is a society that was formed in 1985 by authors (mainly musicians) to advance the cause of copyright administration in Uganda. It is registered with the Registrar of Companies as a Company Limited by guarantee having no share Capital, in other words, it belongs to all of its members. UPRS is recognized by the Government as a Collecting Society, and it is a Member of the Confederation of International Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC).

UPRS acknowledges challenges in sensitizing our members and users. This is to account for long-standing institution capacity challenges. As a result, our operations have been mostly in the central region.  

In a bid to spread our services and serve our members better, UPRS has engaged various international and local stakeholder partners with a view to improving our revenue mobilization strategy.  UPRS has, therefore, adopted an agency licensing and collection model in which we shall partner with third-party agents to collect for and on behalf of our members.

UPRS has responded to repeated calls to serve music distributors who sell content on portable devices.  We have been requested to accommodate them within our licensing framework.

UPRS has found that TUMUDA can address this crucial gap in the music licensing framework for which UPRS is mandated. TUMUDA is an entity that is well known among the music creators and publishers’ community. They have a national footprint, having been behind the original music distribution chain in Uganda. They are also music publishers, promoters of artists, and investors in the industry.

TUMUDA is the first of many third-party music agents that UPRS will partner with around the country. 

 We ask you all to give them the necessary cooperation in this endeavor.

 Antony Mwandha

Ag. Chief Executive Officer