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Egypt to Copyright Pyramids and Sphynx
empaler writes "We all know the usual pro-copyright arguments. Most of them hinge on the fact that the individual or company that has a copyright needs an incentive to make something that is copyrightable, and therefore ensure a revenue stream in a period after the copyright has been granted. In a never-surpassed move, Egypt is working on legislation to extend copyright well above 3000 years — they are going to start claiming royalties for using likenesses of the Sphynx and the Pyramids. It is still unclear whether the original intent of the Pyramids included 'making sure them bastards pay for a plastic copy in 3000 years' alongside 'securing a pathway to the heavens for the God King.' Speaking as a Greenlandic national, I want dibs on ice cubes." It sounds straight out of The Onion, but instead you can read another story on the BBC.
Isn't copyrighting a geometrical figure about the same as copyrighting a number? How exactly do they plan to go about doing this?
That's pretty astounding arrogance right there. Since when do one country's laws apply anywhere outside their borders? Not to mention that they have no right to try to "copyright" stuff that was made 3000 years ago, by people long-since dead.
"16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
Actually the copyright laws are regulated by international treaty and this particular claim is not supported by the treaty. So the reverse is true, Egypt has zero chance of applying this particular law outside its own borders.
But thats probably not what they are after. After some haggling the owners of the Luxor will come up with some form of face saving deal that throws a little money towards preserving the originals and in return the Egyptian government will loan them some stuff.
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But you probably spelled "sphinx" correctly. It was the extra creativity of fucking it up to "sphynx" that got this one noticed. Remember, it's not accuracy that gets you on Slashdot, it's the ability to distort and misinterpret a story so it will generate the most page views that counts.
Yeah, and so were some of the early pyramids, as I recall.
Give the guy a break.
I won't join Slashcott. OTOH, If Beta goes live, I just won't be back until it's fixed. Sorry Dice.
It is entirely possible that they don't give a mummified rat's ass about preserving rightst for the pyramids outside Egypt. This might be just another way to make sure anyone cashing in on the pyramids to sell tinkets and junk to tourists gives a cut to the government.
Or, perhaps this is going to be used like a submarine patent: They let people using the images just slide by until they want to cash in or cause someone grief. I somehow imagine that the money that Egypt makes off ouf tourisim is probably a lot greater than the money that say, the Luxor makes off of being shaped like a pyramid.
Im guessing that this is a strategic move.
HA! I just wasted some of your bandwidth with a frivolous sig!
This isn't entirely stupid. First off, lots of people have already mentioned that it won't apply outside of Egypt, and secondly, it obviously isn't for the geometrical structure, just the obvious purpose of selling something that is a likeness of the ancient monument. Also, this is not an unusual thing to do. The illuminations on the Eiffel tower are copyrighted, it's illegal to take a picture of them and sell it, publish it, et cetera, without permission (of the company who put them up, I think, not sure though).
Personally I'm worried this will give the government a monopoly over one of the most lucrative parts of the economy. A lot of people make their living by selling merchandise, and if the government decide to charge a significant royalty for this stuff (which they know they can get away with) it could destroy a lot of livelihoods. Giza is a pretty grim place as it is.
I'm typing this from Cairo, if you were wondering.
I've got the spirit, lose the feeling.
None of which bothers me in the slightest - after all we lived with the IRA for thirty years in the UK. Egypt and the Middle East are perfectly safe and the media frenzy about the nasty terrorists is just that - on the ground by and large the people don't want to know where you are from. They want your money and will have it off any Western tourists by selling tat at overinflated prices, but that's true of any tourist place of course. Now the US - fingerprints on entry? Geez, I've not arrived and I'm considered a criminal. The protection offered citizens is not extended to guests, rude and overbearing officials, detention without trial, no thanks. I've been to both and the Middle East wins on general perceived safety.