A major crisis is gripping the Egyptian artistic scene during this period, due to artists and artistic unions demanding the activation of public performance rights and obtaining their dues from the repeated sales of artistic works to satellite channels and electronic platforms. However, this demand has faced significant opposition from cinema and drama production companies in Egypt, prompting the Egyptian Cinema Industry Chamber to intervene to prevent the activation of this matter, citing certain legal clauses.

The crisis over public performance rights began several weeks ago when artist Yasser Galal, as a member of the Egyptian Senate, submitted a proposal calling for a discussion on activating public performance rights for creators, alongside activating the rights of performing artists and neighboring rights. However, this proposal stirred up opinions within the artistic community, with several producers rejecting it, including producer Gamal El-Adl, who asserted that artists receive their full rights and are paid millions of pounds for each work they produce, and they do not bear financial losses when a work fails, yet despite all that, they want their children and grandchildren to receive additional money from production companies after their death.

Ashraf Zaki and Madi al-Daqn from a meeting of the Federation of Artistic Unions

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Ashraf Zaki and Madi al-Daqn from a meeting of the Federation of Artistic Unions

Artist Yasser Galal from a meeting of the Federation of Artistic Unions

Meetings to Pressure Production Companies

The public performance rights crisis escalated after some official bodies intervened to support the demand, including the Egyptian Drama Authors Association and the Syndicate of Cinematographers and Performing Arts. These bodies held meetings to pressure production companies to activate the project and set clear controls and conditions for it.

In response, the Egyptian Cinema Industry Chamber held an emergency meeting attended by more than 50 Egyptian producers, including Esaad Younis, Hisham Abdel Khalek, Gabi Khoury, and Ahmed El-Sobky, declaring their complete rejection of the actors' demands to obtain public performance rights for their artistic works.

In a statement, the Chamber affirmed the producers' rejection of the unified contracts demanded by the artistic unions, citing legal provisions that guarantee the rights of all parties involved in artistic work, stressing that producers alone own the financial dues without others.

It also clarified in the same statement that the producer is the sole owner of the rights to the artistic work in its various copies, and is not obligated to deal with artists under unified contracts that compel him to activate the public performance right. Moreover, there is no obligation on exhibitors such as cinemas, satellite channels, and electronic platforms to pay a fee each time the works are shown on screens.

From a meeting of the Cinema Industry Chamber

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From a meeting of the Cinema Industry Chamber

Producer Ahmed El-Sobky from a meeting of the Cinema Industry Chamber

Artist Esaad Younis from a meeting of the Cinema Industry Chamber

Crises... and Massive Costs

The statement noted that certain matters must be taken into account, including the crises facing the cinema industry in Egypt as well as the production of drama series, the massive costs borne by production companies, and the occasional exposure to losses at a time when some stars exaggerate their fees.

The statement by the Cinema Industry Chamber caused resentment within the artistic unions, which rejected its content and affirmed their insistence on activating public performance rights and the rights of authors and performing artists. A meeting was held attended by director Mosaad Fouda, head of the Egyptian Cinematographers Syndicate; artist Ashraf Zaki, head of the Actors Syndicate; screenwriter Ayman Salama, head of the Authors Association; Madi al-Daqn, head of the Association of Artists' Descendants; and artist Yasser Galal, a member of the Senate, to discuss and respond to the Cinema Industry Chamber's statement.

The attendees affirmed that the Chamber's statement contained interpretations aimed at dismantling the unity of drama workers, including artists, producers, authors, and performers, even though what MP Yasser Galal and the artistic unions did was intended to activate the articles of the Copyright Protection Law, and in no way antagonizes producers. Rather, all they seek is to find mechanisms to protect the rights of artists and workers in the artistic field.

No Adversarial Stance Towards Producers

Director Mosaad Fouda, head of the Cinematographers Syndicate, said that activating the law's articles and protecting artists' rights and preserving their dignity should be a priority in meetings, and that frameworks should be established for a model contract that obligates everyone to join artists' rights associations, starting with the Authors and Composers Association, the Drama Authors Association, and the Association of Artists' Descendants. This does not represent an adversarial stance towards producers, as they are the backbone of the artistic process, and the pursuit of artists' rights does not conflict with the producer's role or rights.

For his part, Dr. Ashraf Zaki, head of the Performing Arts Syndicate, affirmed that he will not give up on artists' rights and will not allow any threat to the rights of the profession's members. All he seeks is for artists to live in a profession that preserves their dignity and to reclaim whatever possible of the rights that have been squandered since the profession of art was known.

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