UPRS

UPRS Embarks on a National Campaign to Sensitize Music Users on Copyright Law

Uganda Performing Right Society (UPRS) is embarking on a journey to sensitise music users in different parts of country about the copyright law and the need to get a license before using anyone’s music for commercial purposes. UPRS held its first outreach workshop at Vision Empire in Mbarara city on Friday, 10th 2023 to sensitise bar owners, broadcasters, nightclubs, discotheques, bars, restaurants, shops, banks, mobile discos, hoteliers, video libraries, among others. More workshops will be held in Gulu and Kampala in March 2023. According to the Acting CEO of UPRS, Nassuna Morrine Sharon, the workshops are part of a national-wide campaign dubbed #FriendsOfUgandanMusic aimed at creating copyright compliance, increasing the amount collected in royalties and thus the amount disbursed to the artists. “The purpose of this meeting is to engage with our clients and, at the same time, sensitise them on the important issues around collecting and distributing royalties to our members. We intend to enlighten our clients about their obligations as stated in the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights of 2006 and trust that these engagements shall promote a positive mindset towards copyright licenses,” she said. Nassuna added, “As UPRS, we are mandated by our members, copyright owners, and the law to collect royalties on behalf of our members so that they can benefit from their work. We found it fit to hold these workshops for our clients to educate them before we embark on the licensing process and royalty collection.”