UFMI Banderoles

Copyright Security Devices

1. Prescription of Hologram

a) The Uganda audiovisual Copyright Management Society hereby prescribes the use of Banderoles that is hologram stamps in relation to audiovisual recordings/cinematograph films intended or offered for sale, rental, hiring, lending or otherwise distributed to the public for commercial purposes in Uganda.

b) The hologram shall be a tamper proof sticker to be designated by the Ugandan audiovisual Copyright Management Society.

c) Why Security Hologram?

i. Movie producers spend millions of money to produce films in the hopes that consumers will buy them. Consumers on the other hand expect to get what they pay for. Counterfeiters thus pirates cost both Movie producers and consumers major losses. The magnitude of the POTENTIAL LOSS is staggering. Movie producers in Uganda are robbed of revenue while consumers are robbed of quality products and performance guarantees.

ii. Counterfeiters have existed since the earliest days of trade, but technology and a lack of measures on the part of Movie producers has helped their numbers, and their profits, grow. Producers of currency, passports, drivers' licenses, manufacturers of brand name products, and other valuable products know firsthand how devastating the counterfeiting trade can be.

iii. Security Holograms that is the Banderoles want to STOP counterfeiters in their tracks! Security Holograms dedicated to eliminating cheap imitation of movie products from the marketplace. We accomplish this by selling high quality, highly secure Banderole stickers designed to protect movie products from becoming counterfeited. We go to great lengths to ensure the security of our Banderole labels so that our customers can be sure that their products are safe and secure.

2. Affixation of Hologram

The hologram stamps shall be affixed:

a) in the case of works produced in Uganda, at the point of production; and

b) in the case of works imported into Uganda, except where such works are for domestic use, before they are released into the channels of commerce.

3. The hologram shall be affixed to every cassette, disc, or other medium in which the audiovisual recordings/film is embodied, in such manner as to make the hologram visible to prospective purchasers.

4. Accreditation of Producers

a) All persons engaged in the reproduction of audiovisual recordings/cinematograph films shall, for the purpose of applying the hologram stamps, apply in the prescribed form to the Uganda audiovisual Copyright Management Society for accreditation.

b) Upon being accredited, the applicant shall be issued with a certificate of accreditation by the Uganda Audiovisual Copyright Management Society.

5. Accreditation of Importers

a) Any person who imports into Uganda any audiovisual recordings/cinematograph film for the purpose of sale, rental, hiring, lending or otherwise distributing to the public for commercial purposes shall apply to the Uganda audiovisual Copyright Management Society for accreditation to use hologram stamps in connection with such works.

b) Accreditation under this section shall be granted upon the applicant showing valid license from the copyright owner permitting the importation of such works into Uganda.

6. Keeping of Books and Returns

Every accredited person shall keep such books and make periodic returns as may be required and in the manner prescribed by the Uganda audiovisual Copyright Management Society.

7. Technical Implementation Committee

a) The Uganda audiovisual Copyright Management Society generated a committee to be known as the Copyright Inspection & Enforcement Committee with responsibility to supervise the administration of the hologram and the committee shall have such additional powers as the Registrar of Copyright in consultation with the Audiovisual Collecting Society; may from time to time delegate to it.

b) The composition of the committee shall be as follows:

i. The General Secretary, UFMI –Chairman

ii. A representative of the Inspector-General of Police

iii. A representative of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards

iv. Two² representatives each from the UFMI Guilds representing the interests of authors and performers.

8. Fees

The fees to be paid in relation to any transaction under these Regulations shall be as prescribed from time to time by the Uganda audiovisual Copyright Management Society in consultation with the Registrar of Copyright.

9. Acquiring Banderoles

a) Only copyright owners or their agents shall be able to purchase banderoles from Uganda audiovisual Copyright Management Society. All copyright owners shall be required to apply for and register their works for copyright protection and in case of transfer of rights, one shall be required to produce the necessary supportive documents from the author/producer to prove ownership.

b) The UFMI General Secretary shall issue a list of all copyrights owners and their respective titles to the National Treasurer to authentify every titles’ assignments for copyright protection.

Dated this 29^th day of July, 2011

Mr. Kaggwa Matovu R.

General Secretary,

Uganda Federation of Movie Industry

Back to the Copyright Law in Uganda

Collecting Societies in Uganda

Copyright law in Uganda is currently is governed by;
the Copyright and Neighbouring Act, 2006 and the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Regulations, 2010.

The Act provides that NO person of any kind shall produce, reproduce, distribute, broadcast, make available to the public, sale or offer for sale, lease or rent out or make public performances or import for distribution …audio visual recordings in Uganda except under a license issued by the owner of the neighbouring rights or a Collecting society.

A collecting societies engage in collective rights management, license copyrighted works, collect royalties to the authors and negotiate tariffs on behalf of its members.

As part of their functions, they:

1. license works in which they hold the copyright or for which they act as agent on behalf of their members for specific uses

2. monitor use of those rights extended to the users of copyrighted works.

3. collect revenue relating to use of the rights.

4. distribute revenues as royalties to members for whom they act as agents.

5. Enter into reciprocal arrangements with foreign collecting societies to collect and distribute local royalties to foreign rights holders and to receive and distribute royalties earned overseas to local rights holders.

Licensing and rights management

There are two types of licenses that societies and their commercial counterparts uphold;

A Blanket licences;

Authorizes copyright users to use all works for which the licensing body is responsible but for a specified period of time.

'Blanket licensing' reduces the cost to consumers, with users paying a single fee for access to the whole of a society's repertoire, thereby eliminating high transaction costs that would be incurred through clearing rights with every individual author, publisher, composer, lyricist, artist, performer and record company.

Specific licences;

Sometimes characterized as transactional licences or individual licences; deal with particular uses of a specific work in a particular context and for a specific time.

Collective licencing applies to a single territory but reciprocal agreements between societies mean that it allows rights holders to gain remuneration for uses across the globe.

Examples of collecting societies in Africa include the Music Copyright Society of Kenya which was recently deregistered over alleged mismanagement of funds, the Reproduction Rights Society of Kenya, Kenya Association of Music Producers and the Performers Rights Society of Kenya. Malawi reportedly has only one collecting society known as the Collecting Society of Malawi (COSOMA) which, as per its mandate, represents the rights of authors, composers, performers and publishers among others; Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS) for the audio bundle, Uganda Federation of Movie Industry (UMFI) catering for the audiovisual rights.

Registration of Collecting Societies in Uganda

Section 57 of the Act provides that NO collecting society shall operate in Uganda without a registration certificate issued by the Registrar of Companies.

The Registrar of Companies shall not register another society in respect of the same bundle of rights and category of works if there exists another society that has already been licensed and functions to the satisfaction of its members.

Any person operating as a collecting society or causing any society or body to operate as a collecting society without a registration certificate commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred currency points or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years or to both the fine and imprisonment.

Section 58 provides that the Registrar may register as a collecting society any society or body which has for its main object the promotion of the economic and social interest of its members through defending their copyright and neighbouring right interests and the Registrar shall not register a society unless under the following circumstances:

1. the Registrar is satisfied that the society is capable of promoting its members’ interests and of discharging its functions and objectives.

2. it consists of at least thirty persons all of whom are, according to its articles and rules qualified to be members.

3. the society is incorporated under the provisions of the Companies Act.

Full registration of society (Section 64)

Where at the end of the probation the registrar is satisfied with the functioning of the society the Registrar shall fully register the society as a collecting society. A society shall, on full registration, become a body corporate by the name under which it is registered, with perpetual succession and a common seal, and with power to hold movable and immovable property of every description, to enter into contracts, to institute and defend suits and other legal proceedings and to do all things necessary for the purpose of its operations.

Back to the Copyright Law in Uganda

Copyright Law In Uganda

Copyright law in Uganda is currently is governed by;
the Copyright and Neighbouring Act, 2006 and the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Regulations, 2010.

The Act proviedes that NO person of any kind shall produce, reproduce, distribute, broadcast, make available to the public, sale or offer for sale, lease or rent out or make public performances or import for distribution …audio visual recordings in Uganda except under a licence issued by the owner of the neighbouring rights or a Collecting society.

Application of the Act (Section 3)

The Act applies to any work, including work created or published before the commencement of the Act. Under section 9 of the Act, the owner of a protected work has the exclusive right to do or authorize other people to publish, produce or reproduce the work; to distribute or make available to the public the original or copies of the work through sale or other means of transfer of ownership; to perform the work in public; to communicate the work to the public by wire or wireless means or through any other means… including through the internet; where the work is pre-existing work, to make a derivate work; to commercially rent or sell original or copies of the work; to do, in relation to that work any act known or to be known in the future; or to reproduce transcription into Braille which is accessible to blind persons.

Moral rights under section 10; are recognized independently of the author’s economic rights and they continue even in the case of transfer of the economic right.

Duration of copyright protection (Section 13)

The terms of protection of copyright for audio-visual work, sound recording or broadcast, the economic rights of the author are protected for fifty years from the date of making the work or from the date the work is made available to the public with the consent of the author.

Assignment of copyright and licensing (Section 14)

The owner of a copyright may as if it were movable property assign, licence, transfer or bequeath to another person the economic rights in a copyright in whole or in parts; and transfer to any braille production unit in Uganda the economic rights in the Braille translation.

The application for registration of an assignment or transfer shall be in Form 4 specified in Schedule 2 to the Regulations. The application shall state—

i. the name and registered address of the author and owner of the copyright or neighbouring rights;

ii. the name, trade or business and the description of the assignor or transferor of a copyright or neighbouring rights;

iii. particulars of the instrument, if any, under which the interest is claimed;

iv. the limitations in the assignment or transfer, and shall address issues on whether or not the assignment is limited to—

a. some of the assignor's rights;

b. a part of the term of copyright; or

c. a specified country or geographical area.

The application for registration of an assignment or transfer shall be accompanied by—

a. a copy of the instrument, if any, under which the title is claimed; and

b. an application fee prescribed in Schedule 3 to the Regulations.

The certificate of registration of assignment shall be in Form 5 specified in Schedule 2 to these Regulations.

Copyright infringement (Section 46)

Infringement of copyright or neighbouring right occurs where, without a valid transfer, license, assignment or other authorisation under this Act a person deals with any work or performance contrary to the permitted free use and in particular where that person does or causes or permits another person to reproduce, fix, duplicate, extract, imitate or import into Uganda otherwise than for his or her own private use; distribute in Uganda by way of sale, hire, rental or like manner; or exhibit to the public for commercial purposes by way of broadcast, public performance or otherwise.

The use of a piece of work in a manner prejudicial to the honour or reputation of the author shall be deemed an infringement of the right of the owner of the right.

Civil remedies (Section 45)

The Act provides civil remedies so that a person whose rights are in imminent danger of being infringed or are being infringed may institute proceedings in the commercial court for an injunction to prevent the infringement or to stop the continuation of the infringement.

Administration of Copyright

Section 41 of the Act, provides for a Registrar of Copyright and other officers. The Registrar’s office shall be the National Copyright Information Centre.

The Registrar shall process applications for licenses; register works and productions to be registered under this Act; register collecting societies; give guidance to and discipline collecting societies; register assignments, licences and transfers of copyrights; register copyright contracts relating to exploitation of rights; provide copyright and neighbouring rights information service to the public and users of copyright works; in collaboration with the collecting societies, advise Government, on matters relating to copyright and neighbouring rights; perform any other duty or function relating to copyrights, neighbouring rights and collecting societies as may be necessary for the better functioning of this Act or as the Minister may by regulation prescribe.

Back to the Copyright Law in Uganda

UFMI Actors' Guild

This is a category of Ugandan Film Actors and below is their Administrative structure.

President
Dr. Lutaaya Abdulatif
Email: lutaaya_abdurl@yahoo.com

Filmograhy [In Alphabetical Order]
Abakyala Bagala Kki? -Actor
Akadingano -Actor
Amaggwa -Actor
Emikwano Mububi -Actor
Ensozi Tezisisinkana -Actor
Gwewesiga Mwesigwa -Actor
Kiva Ebulaaya -Actor
Omumbejja Mukwano -Actor
Zubairi [TV Serie] -Actor

Other Executive Members
Vice President
-

Secretary
-

Treasurer
-

Information [PRO]
-

About UFMI Guilds

Translators’ Guild

This is a category of Ugandan Film Translators renowned as the Video Jokers [VJs] and below is their Administrative structure.

President
Mr. Kwezi Paul Francis
a.k.a Omutaka ICE. P
Other Information
CEO and Director _ICE. P Videography and

VJ with

Address

Zibula-Atude Shopping Mall
Shop No. Z215
Nakivubo

Vice President
Kiganda Christopher
a.k.a VJ Kris Sweat

Secretary
Byekwaso Ronald
a.k.a VJ Ronnie

Treasurer
Muhumuza Denis
a.k.a VJ HD

Information [PRO]
Kaija Vkasha
a.k.a VJ Shao Khan

About UFMI Guilds

Director -UFMI Guilds

Ddungu Phillip K. Luswata
Director -Theatre Factory

With experience from theatre to film production, Mr. Luswata; the Director of Guilds_Uganda Federation of Movie Industry charged with the responsibility of coordinating all the Guilds in their respective capacities.

As the coordinator, he access every achievements and challenges of Guilds. He not only coordinates Guilds amongst themselves but also bridges the gap between the Executive body and the Guilds.

Read more about UFMI Guilds
Read more about UFMI Membership

Uganda Film Producers' Guild

The Ugandan Film Producers' Guild was formed as a chapter of UFMI General Assembly that administers the interests and rights of film producers/authors and directors in Uganda. The Guild encompasses;

Producers who select screenplays, initiating the process of film making and development to completion and delivery of a film project that is; the creators of films.

Executive producer who normally are producers with a financial interest in the production and; Directors who direct the actors and crew in the making of a film.

The Directors control the film's artistic and dramatic aspects, while guiding the technical crew and actors.

As regards the Ugandan Film fraternity, members of such are especially from the production quarters and below is the Guild's Administrative structure.

President

Lubowa Ahmed

Other Information
CEO & Director –Aromatic Production
Follow link to see more about Filmograhy

Other Executive Members

Vice President:
Mzee Bwanika M. Julius

General Secretary:
Busuulwa M. Raphael

Director of Finance:
Ssebagala Joseph Ken

Information [PRO]:
Prince Joe Nakibinge

Committee Members:
Nambogga Winfred
Mbaziira Ronnie
Ssali John

Functions of the Guild

The over all purpose is to provide guidance to the Uganda film Industry basing on the producers/authors’ quarter by setting and enforcing minimum standards of production of all film genre, uniting and promoting the producers/authors and clients, offering a collective platform for improving the film production and industry as a whole, protecting the rights and interests of producers/authors, conserving culture and promoting the cultural heritage and ethics through the film industry which is exceedingly associated with artistic merit, technical accuracy and cultural sensitivity

Read More about UFMI Guilds

Follow Link for a list of Uganda Film Producers List

Follow Link for a list of Uganda Film Producers & Directors + Contacts [You'll need administrative privileges to access this list]

UFMI Screen Writers' Guild

This is a category of Ugandan Film/screen writers and below is their Administrative structure.

President
Buyondo Christopher
Writer/Director
Email: cbuyondo@gmail.com

Other Information

[Born in 1985] is a Ugandan screenwriter, film director, and author. His screenwriting and directing work includes A Christmas to Remember (2004 short film), Agaali Amakula (2008 feature film), Ssinga Ggwe (2009 feature film), Mystery Date (2010 short film), and Who Wants to be my Boss? (2011-2012 T.V drama series)

In 2004, the time between making A Christmas to Remember and his return to feature films in 2008 with Agaali Amakula, Christopher spent his time in Kenya researching about his two books of the “Secret Eyes of an Artist” and “The Art of Writing Short Films”. As a script writer and director for documentary films; Christopher has worked with several companies all around East Africa to include; Quite Bright Films Ltd, Kenya and Citizen T.V. among others.

In September 2010, he and the Writers' Guild Executive were ushered the first president for the Uganda Screenwriters Guild following an election at the Uganda National Cultural Center.

Vice President
Henry Mayanja
Screenwriter/actor
Other Information
Omukazi Muka ssebo -Writer

Secretary
Orishaba Agatha

Treasurer
Ndagire Sarah
Screenwriter/actress
Other Information
Email: ndagiresarah@yahoo.com

Information/P.R.O
Nampala Claire
Screenwriter/Actress

Other Information
Email: clairenampala@yahoo.com


UFMI Guilds

ANCOP & UMFI Against Piracy

30^th June. 2011
at
Hotel Equatorial _Kampala, Uganda.

ANCOP [Association of Nollywood Core Producers] and UFMI [Uganda Federation of Movie Industry] together with the Uganda Film Publishers’ Guild partnered to grow and develop the movie industry in Uganda through fighting piracy and movie infringement on the Ugandan soil.

Such prior collaborations with ANCOP Ghana earned her International recognition in movie production on becoming the 4^th Leading Movie producer in Africa.

Nigeria produces over 2,000 films per year making Nollywood the largest movie producers in Africa 2^nd to Hollywood on international recognition. With the support of the government in enforcing the copyright law, Nollywood remits up to US$550 billion dollars as tax revenue to her Federal government of Nigeria.

The vice of MOVIE PIRACY is an immense curse/irritation to Uganda’s film industry which has big market potential and very good talents. According to the leader of the seven-man delegation, Mr. Alex Eyengho argued the government of Uganda through the Registrar of Copyright, Ministry of Justice, Police and Stakeholders to purse and prosecute pirates and all piracy facilitators.

Mr. Alex Eyengho assured that ALL Nigerian movie Producers through ANCOP have given UFMI [Uganda Federation of Movie Industry] ALL the power and authority [POWER OF ATTORNEY] to protect Nigerian Intellectual Property [Nigerian Movies] from any form of Infringement to crack down on all Nigerian Movie pirates in the Country effective from this 30^th of June 2011.

In the signing of a UFMI and ANCOP Reciprocal agreement that is the Memorandum of Understanding, ANCOP through UFMI also gave power to market, publish, reproduce and distribute Nigerian Movies; to Uganda Film Publishers’ Guild. ANCOP further handed genuine original master copies to the Publishers’ Guild and recognized them as the ONLY legitimate Nigeria Movie Publishers in Uganda.

Nigerian producers also pledged their unsparing support to the Ugandan movie producers as well as makers and encouraged the Ugandan government to invest in the multi million job creator that is; the movie industry which will shine as one of the biggest revenue providers to the economy as the case is today in Nigeria.

Follow the Link and Watch the Conference Videos;
1. The Signing of the Reciprocal Agreement
2. Key Note Address by some of the Special Guests
3. Hottest Questions Against the Conference

For more information about the ANCOP and UFMI Reciprocal Agreement, read the ANCOP on line publication with Vanguard publications

There is also alot more in the
Nigerian On line publication about
ANCOP & UFMI Reciprocal Agreement

Read More about
Nigerians lament about Ugandan movie pirates

UMFI Special General Assembly

20^th Jan. 2011
at
National Theatre _Green Room

UFMI organized her 1^st ever General Assembly in which UFMI introduced the entire elected Executive Body, Achievements and Way forward. The massively attended Conference was graced by the honorable presence of Mrs. Nasuuna Juliet; the Registrar of Copyright in Uganda who was also the Chief Guest, Maj. Gen. Elly Tumwiine the UFMI Patron and membership across the film fraternity.

The President; Dr. Nsubuga Eddie; a publisher _CEO _Eddie Soft Production, assured that as the Secretariat and on behalf of the entire film fraternity in Uganda; UFMI as a collecting society is working up to and for:
i. Protecting Copyright & Neighboring Rights of both local and foreign members in Uganda.
ii. Develop tariffs and licensing all categories of copyright users.
iii. Organize and prepare the distribution of Royalties to all stakeholders/members both locally and internationally.
iv. Enforcement of Copyright & Related Rights.
v. Promotion of Creativity & Originality

The Gen. Sec. Mr. Matovu Kaggwa Ramadhan; an Actor, established that with an objective of collective and lobbying for stakeholders’ rights in the film industry, UFMI has managed to bring together several interested parties through and with achievements like; Election of officials, Establishment of Guilds, Networking with foreign Film fraternities, Negotiations of Reciprocal Agreements with sister CMOs and organization of Movie Awards among others.

In the Assembly, members as well as all stake holders were argued to collectively work in the UFMI’s bide to build and strengthen the public’s confidence and UFMI assured legitimacy transparency and access to UFMI administrative policies.

For more info about UMFI Special General Assembly, refer to the General Assembly Report.