Ugandan musician Bruno Kiggundu, widely known as Bruno K, has won a significant legal battle after the High Court ordered an American music company to pay him Shs 130 million for unlawfully exploiting his work.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Patricia Mutesi of the Commercial Division, found that Black Market Media engaged in a pattern of conduct that violated the singer’s copyright and deprived him of revenue from his own music. The company, which entered the Ugandan market in 2020, was faulted for filing false copyright strikes, pulling down his digital content, and distributing several of his songs without permission.
Justice Mutesi noted that the actions by the company caused substantial harm to the artist, particularly when his YouTube channels were taken offline following multiple complaints.
“The evidence shows that the plaintiff’s copyright was infringed when his songs were removed, when false claims were lodged against him, and when his work was distributed without consent or payment,” the judge wrote. She added that the company “unlawfully exploited the plaintiff’s songs” and benefited at his expense.
The court awarded Shs 100 million in general damages and an additional Shs 30 million in aggravated damages, underscoring the severity of the violations.
Contract Gone Sour
Court filings revealed that Bruno K originally signed a contract with Black Market Records LLC, under which he would produce music while the label handled promotion and royalties. The arrangement quickly broke down. Bruno told the court that soon after the agreement was made, the company became unavailable and unresponsive, leading him to abandon the partnership after recording just one collaborative track.
Seeking to regain control of his career, Bruno began uploading his independently produced music to his YouTube channel. The label responded by reporting his uploads to YouTube, insisting it retained ownership of the songs.
The repeated copyright complaints triggered an automatic suspension of his channels.
A Company That No Longer Existed
The case took a pivotal turn when Bruno discovered that Black Market Records LLC had been dissolved in California in 2013, nearly a decade before it claimed to sign a contract with him. This finding undermined the company’s claims of ownership and allowed YouTube to reinstate the artist’s channels — Bruno K and Real Dance Crew.
A Win With Broader Implications
The decision is being viewed as a meaningful step for Uganda’s creative industry, where musicians have long raised concerns about unfair contracts, opaque royalty systems, and foreign companies taking advantage of local talent.
For Bruno K, the judgment not only restores his music rights but also sends a message about accountability in the digital era.