Hologram

Book piracy — the unauthorised reproduction and sale of books — has been a rampant practice in Uganda. The problem has led to publishing houses quitting the market and authors going without royalty payments for years.

In 2014, the Uganda Publishers Association (UPA) and URRO set up an anti-piracy programme to rid the book market of piracy. URRO Copyright Inspectors, working with the Police, have conducted raids on bookshops, printers, warehouses, homes and schools where piracy takes place — and some culprits have been arraigned before courts of law.

To help buyers authenticate genuine books from pirate copies, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) introduced the URRO hologram — a sticker with unique security features. It was officially launched by Hon. Gen Kahinda Otafiire, Minister of Justice, on World Intellectual Property Day, 26th April 2016.

URRO is responsible for issuing holograms to publishers and book distributors at a cost that covers manufacturing, shipping, public awareness, market surveillance and — where required — litigation. Self-published authors can also buy holograms by providing documents verifying ownership of the work.