Speed key in intellectual property registration

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Uganda's innovators have been urged to fast-track registration of their works if they wish to profit from them.

"If you have not registered, then you are exposing yourself to risks out there. You will be liable for someone to come up and take your innovation and utilise it without permission because you have not claimed ownership," Shirley Nakyejwe, a senior ICT officer and intellectual property specialist at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance.

Nakyejwe said her ministry is promoting intellectual property (creations of the mind) to ensure that innovators' solutions are contributing to the technological advancement of the country and the growth of the economy.

An innovator is an individual or organisation that introduces new ideas or methods which help to ease how things are done. Innovators can be entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, or anyone who contributes to the advancement of ideas and practices in their field.

Nakyejwe said the innovators have the potential to help grow the ICT sector and make it a key backbone for the country.

Supporting young people

She said that they are working to ensure that products and solutions developed by the young people in Uganda compete globally on the international market.

"Intellectual property ensures that you as an individual own these exclusive rights to utilize the products, and yet at the end of the day, you can earn more from these solutions," she said.

She was speaking during the Uganda ICT intellectual properties guidelines dissemination workshop at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, Kampala on February 14 2025.

The event was attended by over 50 innovators as well as development partners, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which funded the workshop.

At the event, Nakyejwe made a call to the innovators to ensure that more quality products are brought onto the market. "There is also a need (for innovators) to go into various partnerships with different investors and have agreements that can help you scale up, grow and commercialise your solutions," she said.

Grassroots innovators  

Friday's event came days after the Government launched the ICT intellectual property guidelines to streamline innovation in the country.

James Lubwamwa, the manager of patents and industrial design at the Uganda Registration Bureau Services, said the guidelines will be key in empowering grassroots innovators and ensuring their work aligns with Uganda’s Vision 2040.

"These efforts will boost IP registrations, licensing, and the commercialization of protected innovations across Uganda, " he said.

Commissioner of Communications, Moses Watasa, who spoke on behalf of the permanent secretary of the ICT ministry said the guidelines will safeguard innovators’ rights, strengthen the legal framework to deter IPR violations and promote the integration of ICT across various sectors.