Egypt To Copyright Pyramids

[DeSwiss]

Egypt to copyright pyramids

AFP
by Rayad Abou Awad
Tue Dec 25, 1:58 PM ET

CAIRO (AFP) - In a potential blow to themed resorts from Vegas to Tokyo, Egypt is to pass a law requiring payment of royalties whenever its ancient monuments, from the pyramids to the sphinx, are reproduced. Zahi Hawass, the charismatic and controversial head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, told AFP on Tuesday that the move was necessary to pay for the upkeep of the country's thousands of pharaonic sites.

"The new law will completely prohibit the duplication of historic Egyptian monuments which the Supreme Council of Antiquities considers 100-percent copies," he said. "If the law is passed then it will be applied in all countries of the world so that we can protect our interests," Hawass said.

He said that a ministerial committee had already agreed on the law which should be passed in the next parliamentary session, while insisting the move would not hurt Egyptian artisans. "It is Egypt's right to be the only copyright owner for these monuments in order to benefit financially so we can restore, preserve and protect Egyptian monuments."However, the law "does not forbid local or international artists from profiting from drawings and other reproductions of pharaonic and Egyptian monuments from all eras -- as long as they don't make exact copies."

"Artists have the right to be inspired by everything that surrounds them, including monuments," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071225/wl_mideast_afp/egyptantiquitieslaw">More

- In other news, Mesopotamia has announced that it is copyrighting argriculture and will require all farmers worldwide to pay them royalties.....

[Book Lover]

1. So it sounds like the goal is to restrict trinket-makers, not artists

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[DeSwiss]

6. It sounds ridiculous to me....

...the last I checked, copyrights are owned by the individuals who create something entirely new. They might sell their rights, but I can't see how a country can claim a right to innovations that were the product of ancient engineers. And even if they could, copyrights aren't, nor should they be perpetual...

[Book Lover]

11. I'm not saying I'm in favor of the idea

though I must disclose that I have a soft sentimental spot in my heart for Dr Hawass. I'm having a hard time finding detailed information on Egyptian copyright laws, but I do see that government is party to the Berne Convention, FWIW. It is possible that in Egypt, copyright can be held by or assigned to parties other than "the individuals who create something entirely new." (By the way, in US law, copyright can be and is held by corporations and associations.) Your point about the age of these objects is well taken. Again, I am really interested in seeing how the government will assert this position, and whom they select to prosecute.

[IDemo]

2. Well, I guess until Vegas figures out how they were built and imports 80,000 slaves

an "exact copy" probably won't happen...

[Toots]

19. Why the eighty thousand slaves if no one knows how they were built?

Or when or why?

[IDemo]

20. That's a 'ballpark' figure of how many people were needed

I've seen numbers between 50 to 100 thousand. They just don't know exactly how the building blocks were moved into place, although it's not for a lack of imaginative scenarios.

Wasn't trying to suggest Vegas has slipped far enough to engage open slave labor. But then again..

[kurth]

3. And Italy to copyright the semicircular arch

on every building and bridge...

[DeSwiss]

8. ....

[MindMatter]

4. Quick. File a patent on Oxygen.

[rucky]

7. I think Oprah already snagged that one. n/t

[sam sarrha]

5. genetics research has been devastated by patients in genes..

[AndyTiedye]

9. I Think the Copyright Has Expired

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

17. But but but if ANY copyright is allowed to EVER expire, artists will STARVE and Baby Jesus will CRY!

according to the Copyright Nazis of the American entertainment industry.

This is just the natural consequence of that line of thought.

[Johnyawl]

10. Are they going to demand royalties from the Mayans?

[HiddenInVA]

15. Exactly what I was thinking.....

How dare they!! Pay up!! :P

[pinniped]

12. Egypt has supreme law that applies in Las Vegas.

They must have a supreme court that rules the world like the US has.

I'm waiting for the Greeks and Romans to copyright their Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian capitals, as well as the Greek temple design used in numerous US government and financial institutions.

What's this? It's the former Union Bank of California masquerading as the Pantheon. The Romans better call those copyright lawyers. The Greeks better call, too, because I'm sure Union Bank didn't ask for permission to use those Ionic capitals.

[pitohui]

13. i heard a rumor that luxor would be removing their pyramid in vegas

could this be why?

honestly i don't see how you can copyright a shape but that's me

i suppose one day every little expression (let's roll) and every shade of every color (blue iris) and every basic shape and, i guess, everything will copyrighted and nothing will be allowed to anyone who can't afford to pay

[Bright Eyes]

14. I guess Italy is going to demand royalties for all plumbing(Romans)

[soothsayer]

16. Good luck with that!

[Buns_of_Fire]

18. I'm copyrighting the term "Bush Sucks"

I figure as many times as it's uttered and written every day, I'll make MILLIONS! MILLIONS, I tell ya!

(If that doesn't go through, I'll go straight for copyrighting all the vowels in the alphabet. Except for "Y". You can use "Y" all you want to.)

[treestar]

21. Surely this is from the Onion

:rofl: