Church of Uganda has warned religious leaders in different sects and the general public against the use of its religious vestments (clothing) that are duly registered trademarks for 42 bishops of the Church of Uganda.
The vestments that are fully registered by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) are protected under the Intellectual Property Laws of Uganda and only bishops of the Church of Uganda are permitted to `don these registered vestments.
In a joint statement issued by the bishops of the Church of Uganda, any unauthorized use of these vestments is an infringement of the Church of Uganda trademark rights.
According to the Provincial Chancellor, Naboth Muhairwe, individuals or entities found wearing or utilising these vestments will be prosecuted by the Church of Uganda for trademark infringement.
It has become a trend for clerics, especially from Pentecostal churches (born again) to wear Anglican liturgical vestments for Bishops and the Archbishop. The latest incident was when Dr. Joseph Sserwadda, the head of Ndeeba Victory Church, and Pastor Nathan Ibrahim Turyamureeba appeared dressed like Anglicans during a consecration event.
The two drew strong criticism on social media for wearing the Anglican vestments as well as rings.
This led to the formulation of a committee to investigate the misuse of the church liturgical vestments (official attire) by clerics from different denominations. The committee recommended the registration of church of Uganda vestments with URSB.
