A delegation from the Association of Composers and Songwriters met with Egypt’s Minister of Culture Helmy El-Namnam and discussed ways to protect intellectual property rights. 

The delegation included the president of the association, poet Sayed Higab, as well as poet Gamal Bekheet, composers Mounir El-Wassimy and Salah El-Sharnouby, and the association’s legal consultant Abdelsattar Abdelhameed.  

The meeting focused on ways to foster the protection of artists’ intellectual property rights. Poet Sayed Higab presented the problems that cripple the association’s attempts to protect its members’ rights. He added that since the 1980s, and after the prevalence of private satellite channels and radio stations, music composers' rights have greatly dwindled.

He also added that the revenues ensured by the intellectual property law do not meet the needs of the association’s members, who include a huge array of low-income workers or widows of late artists. Consequently, Higab stressed on the need for an increase in the association’s revenues. 

Poet Gamal Bekheet discussed legal difficulties faced by composers and songwriters. He added that the Ministry of Culture could play an important role by adding an article under the intellectual property rights law that focuses on proceedings from concerts that take place in cultural venues. 

For his part, El-Namnam ensured that he would work towards realising the association’s demands for stronger intellectual property rights.

He also added that the existence of a constitutional provision that supports intellectual property rights necessitates that the upcoming parliament lends importance to the particularities of this law.

El-Namnam also applauded the association’s important role in preserving Egypt’s musical heritage, and supporting new talents.

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