President Yoweri Museveni has highlighted the need for Africa to take advantage of its rich heritage to benefit creative industries.
The President emphasised to copyright experts from 20 member states of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) and diplomats in Kampala on Friday that “Africa must take advantage of its rich heritage.”
According to the President, Africa’s tremendous cultural and technological potential can greatly be enhanced through copyright protection.
“Although the economic philosophy behind copyright is protection, to encourage individual efforts, there is still limited awareness of its importance. As a result, the rights holders do not profitably gain in their innovations,” he said.
The rich African heritage which is manifested in music, music instruments, dances, oral literature, songs, medicines, portray, cultures, traditional ceremonies, according to the President should fully be exploited.
The experts concluded the eight days’ diplomatic negotiations on Saturday with the signing of the Kampala Protocol on Voluntary Registration of Copyright and Related Rights to establish regional voluntary registration of copyright.
The copyright diplomatic conference was hosted by the Uganda government through the URSB and ARIPO which has its secretariat in Harare, Zimbabwe.
ARIPO is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1976 to promote harmonisation and the development of intellectual property activities affecting its member states among others.
Its membership includes Botswana, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia (not a member of the Harare Protocol), Sudan, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The scientists and other creators who take lead in innovating and creating content, the President wants them recognised and given maximum support.
“I have been telling my people that Africa did not lag behind because we lacked dancers and music, we had those in plenty but we lagged behind in science and technology. So whatever we do, please science must be at the core of whatever we are doing,” the President remarked.
This was before he tasked the organisers to clarify whether the protocol catered for the scientists.
In her response, the registrar general of the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), Mercy Kainobwisho responded; “Scientific innovations are also protected under the copyright system, the trademark system and the geographical system.”
Though civilisation started in Africa, the President says failure to institutionalise and regulate it was the biggest mistake which was committed by African rulers and kings by failing to protect and preserve the rich heritage.
“They were consumed with tribal rivalry amongst themselves instead of consolidating and strengthening Africa’s unique cultural treasures and scientific achievements,” Museveni said.
The globalisation of the world economy, the President said has made knowledge a critical element in attaining social-economic transformation.
“I urge member states to embrace the Protocol on Voluntary Registration and Notification of Copyright and Related Rights,” he said.
Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka informed the President that the Kampala Protocol will harmonise on the system for the protection of copyright and related rights which will promote market development for the creative industry and accessibility for the created content for investors and the creative sector.
The ARIPO director-general, Bemanya Twebaze, thanked member states for their invaluable contribution to achieving the protocol.
