Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister (MoJCA) Norbert Mao has urged the local producers in Gulu and the Acholi subregion to adopt Intellectual Property (IP) rights as a way to promote and sell their enterprises of artistic and innovative works.

He said the locals should be innovators and come up with diverse artistic works.

 Mao said that sometimes local producers lack understanding of the importance of registering their products of artistic works, hence losing the benefits that come with the accreditation of such works.

"Embrace Intellectual Property it will spur development; create opportunities; and lift up our country", remarked Mao while officially opening a training on 'Intellectual Property(IP) rights for local producers in Bomah Hotel in Gulu City on Wednesday, October 11.

The training was organised by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau(URSB) for stakeholders including businessmen and women, artists, district commercial officers, agro-product producers, media and communications companies including Journalists amongst others.

At the meeting, several artists shared experiences including successful stories in the arts industry.

Caroline Aber, an artist dealing in art and craft majoring in sculptures said that she had already started working on the process of registering her drawing works.

Aber, who is a resident of Gulu City said she started her craft in 2015 with sh80,000, but it has since grown and gives her at least sh200,000 per completion of every set of sculpture drawings.

She said she welcomes the idea of registering her work schedule under the IP rights, only that she lacked some information.

Joyce Santa Laker, an agro-producer dealing in shea butter value addition said that she has welcomed the idea of registering her products under the IP law.

Laker however revealed that for producers to take advantage of the IP laws and benefit from it, they first need to improve on their productions.

She added that the producers are also faced with the problem of better facilities such as modern equipment especially in the agro-based industries for the primary purpose of value addition.

Importance of IP

According to Mike Wagugu, an external facilitator at URSB  IP enables innovators to benefit from the results of their hard work and critical thinking.

Wagugu also highlighted that IP enables the promotion and protection of such works that is good for economic development by creating jobs for oneself and advancing quality.

Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind, including innovations, artistic works, designs, literary works, symbols, names and images that are used primarily for commercial purposes.