Four arrested over duplication of textbooks and novels

Feb 20, 2019

The copyright law of Uganda grants authors, artists and other creators’ protection for their literary and artistic creations, generally referred to as “works”.

The Police raid some of the shops selling the textbooks. PHOTOS: Violet Nabatanzi

 

The Police have arrested four people in Kampala for allegedly duplicating textbooks and novels.

 

The operation was to arrest the suspects was led by the head of operations Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) Alex Tumuhairwe.

 

Among those arrested include Kabali Masembe, Akim Kakande, Julius Mutagumya, and Fred Buyinza.

 

"We are getting statements from the suspects and whoever is involved in piracy will be charged in courts of law," Tumuhairwe said as the Police confiscated the equipment used in reproducing the books.

  Some of the textbooks that were being duplicated 

The copyright law of Uganda grants authors, artists and other creators' protection for their literary and artistic creations, generally referred to as "works".

 

The kind of works protected by copyright include, but not limited to; literary and artistic works such as; novels, poems, plays, newspapers, adverts, films, musical compositions, photographs, technical drawings, sculptures, and architecture, among others.

 

The Executive director of Uganda Reproductive Rights Organisation, Charles Batambuzze emphasised that the law empowers them to work with URSB to confiscate duplicated books as well as equipment.

 

Among the books which were confiscated include textbooks on technical drawing and novel covers.

 The chairperson of the printers on Nasser road, Kiwanuka Akireewo (white shirt) talks to Police officers during the operation on piracy on Monday

 "Majority of the books in schools are reproduced at Nasser Road and sold. Some of the publishing companies have closed business in Uganda because of the level of piracy of books, this has led to a loss of jobs and revenue," Batambuzze said.

 

The chairman printers Kiwanuka Akireewo called for a need to sensitize printers about the law adding that majority of them are not aware of the current copyright law.