A fresh debate has emerged around Uganda’s newly approved Copyright Amendment Bill, with Mawokoto North MP Hillary Kiyaga, popularly known as Dr. Hilderman, clarifying key details that could disappoint some veteran musicians.Speaking on NTV Uganda after Parliament passed the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Hilderman stressed that the law will not apply retroactively. This means artists who previously signed contracts and transferred ownership of their music rights cannot reclaim them under the new legislation.He gave a clear example, noting that rights purchased by Salim Saleh and Kasiwukira from artists like Paul Kafeero will remain valid because the agreement was made before the bill came into effect.Hilderman’s remarks appear to counter earlier sentiments from Eddy Kenzo, the president of the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF). Kenzo had suggested that once the bill is signed into law by the president, veteran artists who sold off their catalogs years ago could regain ownership of their work.However, Hilderman clarified that this will not be the case. According to him, the law does not revisit past agreements but instead takes effect moving forward, from the moment it is assented to and its regulations are implemented.Parliament approves Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Bill“Those artists will need to create new music and start afresh,” he explained, saying that older works remain bound by the original contracts under which they were sold.The legislator added that the amendment is designed to protect artists who still retain full ownership of their music, as well as safeguard the rights to future works. In essence, while the new law strengthens protections within the industry, it offers little relief for artists hoping to recover rights lost under earlier deals.Artists who already signed contracts and transferred their copyrights cannot have those agreements reversed. For example, the rights General Salim Saleh purchased from music producer Kasiwukira remain unchanged because the contract was signed before the Copyright Bill.… pic.twitter.com/nitytBTSJ7— NTV UGANDA (@ntvuganda) March 18, 2026The post Uganda Copyright Amendment Bill won’t reclaim past music rights, MP explains appeared first on MBU.