Anti-piracy campaign launched in Uganda

The campaign was launched at Protea Hotel in Kampala last week and will run under the slogan, Don't Be Fake, Buy/Sell Genuine. The campaign will support partners and stakeholders with creative, administrative and network resources. It will also develop and execute strategies and interventions to guard against counterfeiting.

The ACN says counterfeiting is an infringement on intellectual property (IP) and has a direct impact on patents, trademarks and copyright. It said Uganda could be losing up to 6 trillion Ugandan shillings ($1.6bn) to counterfeit goods and substandard products every year, and that a combined effort from all stakeholders in addressing legislative, regulatory, enforcement, technological and communication gaps was necessary.

It said there was also a need for commitment from the government and its agencies to address the problem. This comes after the Ugandan government launched the National Intellectual Property Policy on 23 September.

"The complex dynamics that drive the prevalence of counterfeits in Uganda require collective, coordinated and sustained interventions and not an individual effort," ACN director of strategy Richard Kawesa said during the signing of a memorandum of understanding with QG Group last week.

"That is why the LOG partnership encourages the public, brands, organisations, law enforcement agencies and policymakers to join forces behind LOG and work closely to expose counterfeit perpetrators, advocate for the dangers of counterfeits or substandard products and develop and implement policies to safeguard genuine products.

"The LOG campaign will seek to address all the driving features of counterfeit culture such as consumer ignorance, inability to distinguish between genuine and fake goods, dangers of counterfeiting, psychosocial factors in terms of mindset or behaviour and the lack of adequate cooperation or support from key stakeholders."

QG managing director David Galukande said: "The goal is to increase consumer awareness of the risks and costs associated with buying fakes and encouraging consumers to take the problem seriously."