🔥 Trending NTV and Daily Monitor Ordered to Pay Shs185 Million in Landmark Copyright Ruling

A recent landmark ruling by Uganda's Commercial Division of the High Court in Kampala has found Monitor Publications Limited (publishers of Daily Monitor) and NTV Uganda liable for copyright infringement, defamation, false attribution, negligence, and unlawful processing of personal data concerning an altered X (formerly Twitter) post by city lawyer Silver Kayondo ³¹⁰. The court has ordered Daily Monitor, NTV, and journalist Deogratious Wamala to jointly pay Kayondo Shs185 million (Ugandan Shillings) ²³.

Background of the Case

The dispute originated from an X thread titled "World Bank-Uganda" that Silver Kayondo published on August 10, 2023, via his verified account ⁵. Daily Monitor and NTV subsequently reproduced and altered Kayondo's post, leading to the legal action ¹⁰. Kayondo sued the media houses, alleging that they infringed his intellectual property rights by reproducing, altering, and inaccurately attributing his content ¹⁰.

Key Aspects of the Ruling

Copyright Infringement and Alteration

Justice Dr. Ginamia Melody Ngwatu, who delivered the judgment on July 27, 2026, emphasized that even minor grammatical changes to an author's work, without consent, can constitute copyright infringement, especially when the original author is acknowledged but their words are misrepresented ¹. The court declared that social media posts are protected by copyright ⁶¹⁰.

Fair Use Limitations

Daily Monitor and NTV had argued that the publication concerned a matter of immense public interest, and since they acknowledged Kayondo as the source, it qualified as "fair use" under copyright law ¹. However, Justice Ngwatu's ruling clarified that fair use has limits, and altering the content of the original work, even if the source is cited, can still be a violation ¹.

Damages Awarded

The court ordered the media outlets to pay Silver Kayondo Shs185 million ²³. This amount covers damages for copyright infringement, defamation, false attribution, negligence, and unlawful processing of personal data ³.

Apology and Publication

In addition to the monetary compensation, the judge also ordered Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda to publish an apology on their print and online platforms ⁵.

Procedural Matters

Monitor Publications, NTV Uganda, their Managing Editor, and journalist Deogratius Wamala had previously sought to rejoin the copyright case after missing court deadlines. However, in a ruling delivered on June 14, 2026, Justice Dr. Ginamia Melody Ngwatu rejected their application, allowing Kayondo to prosecute his case ex parte ⁴.

Implications of the Ruling

This judgment sets a significant precedent, particularly for newsrooms and digital content creators ¹. It underscores the importance of accurately quoting and attributing sources, especially when dealing with content from social media platforms. The ruling affirms that social media posts are intellectual property and are protected under copyright law, even if they are publicly accessible ⁶¹⁰. This could lead to increased scrutiny over how media houses and other entities use and disseminate content found on social media.