Takeaways

• Bebe Cool skipped Parliament talks, citing lack of artist understanding
• He warns of future disputes over payments under the new bill
• Claims many artists don’t even know existing copyright laws

Bebe Cool has opened up about why he chose not to join fellow artists at the Parliament of Uganda during discussions around the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill.

According to him, his absence was intentional. He argued that the majority of artists who showed up didn’t fully understand what copyright actually means, let alone the details of the new bill or the previous law it seeks to amend.

“99% of whoever was there doesn’t know what copyright is,” said Bebe Cool.

In his remarks, he expressed concern that the moment should have been used for meaningful engagement rather than celebration. He emphasized that artists ought to critically analyze the bill—especially provisions that could directly impact their earnings—before endorsing it.

He warned that once the realities of the remuneration structure become clear, many artists might end up dissatisfied or even in conflict. In his view, the excitement surrounding the bill was premature and not grounded in a proper understanding of its implications.

“When you hear the remunerations artists are going to receive courtesy of this bill being passed, you’ll find them complaining and fighting later,” he said.

He further questioned whether any of the artists advocating for the amendment were familiar with the existing copyright law, pointing out a common misconception among some that copyright protections are entirely new in Uganda.

“Tell me who knows what was in the old one?” he questioned, adding that some artists don’t even know copyright has been existent in the country and they think they’ve invented it on their own.