Embattled UTL administrator, Bemanya elected head of World Intellectual Property Organization
Bemanya Twebaze, who is the source of squabbles between State Minister for Investment and Privatization, Evelyn Anite and the office of the Attorney General, has has been elected President of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Advisory Committee on Enforcement.
Bemanya’s election to the post happened during the WIPO’s 14th session in Geneva, Switzerland on September 2, 2019.
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He will be assisted by Ms. Elizabeth Jones of the UK IPO Copyright and Enforcement Directorate and Mr.Ray Meloni, Director of Distinctive Signs of the National Institute for the Defense of Copyright and Intellectual Property of Peru.
According to a statement from the Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB), Bemanya’s election comes at a time when Uganda has enhanced protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
In his acceptance speech after the election, Bemanya expressed appreciation to the Director-General of WIPO Mr. Francis Gurry for the technical assistance extended to member states in building respect for intellectual property.
“Enforcement is a key aspect in promoting innovation and creativity in member states and thus the need to balance enforcement of intellectual property with members’ development priorities,” he added.
WIPO is a UN organization established in 1967 to encourage creative activities and to promote the protection of Intellectual Property throughout the world. WIPO’s current membership is 192 states Uganda has been a member of WIPO since 1973.
Who is Bemanya Twebaze?
Mr. Bemanya Twebaze is the Registrar General of the Uganda Registration Services Bureau. He holds an Executive MBA from ESAMI, an Honors Degree in Law from Makerere University Kampala, a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre Kampala and he is a Harvard Kennedy School Alumnus.
Bemanya’s election, however, comes at a time when he is embroiled in a fight with Anite, on the other hand, to have him replaced as the administrator of Uganda Telecom.
In a letter dated June 26, 2019, Anite said that the government has encountered considerable difficulty dealing with the Administrator and completely lost confidence in his ability to continue serving the role of UTL Administrator.
