news 18 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Why Copyright Laws Struggle in the Age of Internet Abundance
Uganda's new copyright law introduces royalties and harsh penalties for music use, but an oversaturated market driven by digital technology renders traditional protections futile. With millions of global artists and thousands locally competing for limited audiences, discovery trumps enforcement as the real challenge for musicians. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/insight/futility-of-copyright-in-the-internet-era-5427116
Uganda’s performing arts sector has long complained about weak copyright enforcement. Last month, Parliament passed a bill mandating royalties for commercial music play by broadcasters and businesses. Penalties now include fines over 5,000 currency points or up to 10 years in prison. A revenue-sharing model for caller ringback tones gives artists 60%, telecoms 31%, and aggregators 8.5%.
Yet, does this solve the core issues? Globally, Spotify boasts 11 million registered artists in 2026, with 80% having fewer than 50 monthly listeners and many just one song. About one million are committed with regular releases, and 100,000 gain real traction via algorithms and charts.
Digital tools since the late 1990s and widespread internet have exploded music production. Uganda saw this shift from 1970s-1990s scarcity—when musicians could fit in a bus—to today’s 4,400 registered with Uganda Performing Rights Society, plus over 6,000 including federations.
This mirrors crises in broadcasting (200+ FM stations chasing scant ads) and social media content creation. Extreme abundance favors consumers but cripples producers, as local artists now compete worldwide on the internet’s level field.
Strict enforcement might backfire: stations could ditch big names for unknowns needing exposure more than royalties. Economics and technology dictate supply-demand dynamics, undermining copyright’s value.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)