Obtain rights to your invention and start earning

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Did you know that you can earn from your invention? The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Uganda, recently launched guidelines for managing the intellectual property of locally developed Information Technology systems, applications, and innovations at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, Kampala.

Moses Watasa, the Commissioner for Communication Ministry of ICT defined intellectual property as creations of the mind, for which exclusive rights are recognised. 

“These rights are conferred to various intangible assets such as musical, literary and artistic works; discoveries and inventions, words, phrases, symbols, and designs,” he explained.

Offers financial opportunities

Ken Stober, one of the ICT experts from Simplifi Networks, Bugolobi observed that the guidelines offer opportunities for talented Ugandans to protect their creations, software, hardware and designs, from people who want to use them without compensating the original creators. 

He revealed that for things like speech writing or photography, people should not use them without you granting them permission or a license.

He says if they do, they risk being penalised and can pay for losses and damages.

For economic gain, Shirley Gladys Nakyejwe, a senior ICT officer and Intellectual Property Specialist at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, explained that the copyright owner may license another person to use for economic gains in a copyright.

According to the guidelines, you can make money from such types of innovations, including the development of new products, and processes (an improvement of the performance of an existing product and business model innovations).

Find solutions to the gaps in various sectors

James Tony Lubwama, the Manager of Patent and Industrial Designs at URSB explained that Uganda’s effort to build a robust ICT sector is also in sync with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 which envisions Africa as an innovation-led economy.  

“The African free trade presents a market of over sh1.3b,” Lubwama says.

He encouraged people to design an IT project that goes beyond Uganda so as to earn more.

According to Nakyejwe, that can only be possible if you have a sole proprietorship of your IP.  

She warns that in case someone registers your work before you do so, you lose ownership. She, therefore, advises you to file for your IP as soon as you develop the invention.

Employment opportunities

Patrick J. Mugisha, the commissioner, Innovation & Intellectual Property Management, at the Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation argues that IP helps individuals and companies to generate tangible assets. 

He said one should not just stop at getting certificates for his innovation, but one should ultimately turn them into business ventures, thus offering employment opportunities for others.

Lubwama attested that one can acquire IP rights through registration.  

“If you do not register it becomes complex for the government to identify who the owner is,” he says.

If you have certainty that you are the owner, Lubwama advises you to reach out to URSB such that they give you guidance and a certificate that proves ownership.

Lubwama emphasised that once you are the owner, you can access funding under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

“If you register for IP, that means your invention is meeting some basic requirements and you can tap into this funding,” he said. 

According to Mugisha, the more innovations, the more business opportunities.

Mugisha says if we have young people developing apps, and selling software and customers from all over the world are interested, it translates to creating more jobs.

Nakyejwe says that the IP is creating opportunities for young people.

“If I give you to develop for me a system that is going to be used for government procurement services, there is a ripple effect,” she says.

“You are not going to work alone but bring on board two or more people depending on the magnitude of the work.”