The Egyptians are annoyed that people are making money on replicas of pyramids. So they’re trying to copyright the shapes of their monuments. Yeah, that’ll go over well.
Egypt might copyright its pharaonic antiquities, from the pyramids to scarab beetles, in an attempt to get paid from the sale of replicas, an official said Thursday.
It was unclear whether such a copyright would be recognized internationally.
Antiquities chief Zahi Hawass said it would apply only to exact replicas – including scale – meaning someone would have to build a full-size copy of the giant pyramids for it to violate the copyright.
“If you (want to) build an exact copy of the Great Pyramid we will stop you,” Hawass told The Associated Press.
You know, now I want to see someone do it, just to piss off Egypt.
Under the law, anyone seeking to make an exact replica of a copyrighted pharaonic artifact would have to seek permission from and pay a fee to Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The draft bill comes amid recent complaints in Egyptian media about money being made by the pyramid-shaped Las Vegas Luxor casino.
But Hawass said that and other ancient Egyptian-themed parks and malls around the world would not be affected by the copyright law.
Pardon me while I laugh. You know, this is from the same country that was going to sue Israel for the wealth the Jews took out of Egypt during the Exodus, until it was pointed out to them that if they sued Israel for that, Israel could sue Egypt for centuries of enslaving Jews.
I’d also point out that Egypt has no chance whatsoever of getting a piece of the action of the Luxor. I mean, c’mon. Las Vegas? The Mafia? The Egyptians are way out of their league with them.
Regarding the whacky proposed lawsuit (it was propsed by an Egyptian law professor), I recall that it was also dropped because bringing the case would be an admission that the present-day Jews, especially in Israel, are indeed the descendants of biblical Hebrews which Arabs feel the need to consistently deny.
They might grab a few thou from some brain-dead vendors who just don’t want to bother fighting this, but in practicality, it’s unenforceable. They must know this. They must really be strapped for cash.