Egypt to copyright pyramids

AFP ^ | Dec 25, 2007 | AFP

[FreedomCalls]

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. ...

"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." ...

Hawass's declarations came after the opposition daily Al-Wafd published an article on Sunday called for the Las Vegas hotel to pay a slice of its lodging and gambling profits to the city of Luxor.

"Thirty-five million tourists visit Las Vegas to see the reproduction of Luxor city while only six million visit the real Egyptian city of Luxor," the paper lamented.

Samir Farag, head of Luxor town council in southern Egypt, home to the legendary Valley of the Kings, said that it would be difficult to prohibit use of pyramid shapes.

"We can't forbid people from using the name of Luxor and copying monuments from (Luxor) city, which is the world's richest city for monuments," he said, adding that "tourists going to Las Vegas doesn't affect our city's business."

[FreedomCalls]

Extend copyright law to 3000 years? Retroactively? Huh?

[sinanju]

Dollar bills?

[coloradan]

Can we copyright soap, air conditioning, sunglasses? You know, stuff the Egyptians use all the time but never pay us for.

[Zhang Fei]

Good luck applying this law to anywhere outside of Egypt.

[ARE SOLE]

Muslims copywriting conquered infidel structures? Things that make you go hmmmm?

Regards

[coloradan]

(Ok, I don’t actually know about the soap part.)

[sionnsar]

the move was necessary to pay for the upkeep of the country's thousands of pharaonic sites.

Yah. Forget all the tourist bucks (okay, EGP) you're alreay collecting.

Been there once; pass this and I'm not coming back ever again. Your greedy leeches can starve -- or at least learn a useful occupation.

[eyedigress]

The Mayans may have a case.

[LibFreeOrDie]

Zahi Hawass Halfass, the charismatic and controversial head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities..

[Ezekiel]

"Thirty-five million tourists visit Las Vegas to see the reproduction of Luxor city while only six million visit the real Egyptian city of Luxor," the paper lamented.

Gee I can't imagine why. Let me think...

[Panzerlied]

Perhaps we should consult with that famous egyptologist, Hassin Bin Laid, before we go any further.

[Joe 6-pack]

Can corporate sponsorship be far behind?

[CaptRon]

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.

Good luck with that.

[avg_freeper]

I told Plato he should of gotten on that.

[MrEdd]

I am patenting Air. Bow down before me...

[Misterioso]

Egyptians pay for the use of the sundries. We sell them to the consumers who then praise America for all we’ve done for them.

[pabianice]

Can we copyright soap, air conditioning

The inventor was never paid, either.

[tired1]

they’re gonna need some good Jewish lawyers for this scam.

[montag813]

"Thirty-five million tourists visit Las Vegas to see the reproduction of Luxor city while only six million visit the real Egyptian city of Luxor," the paper lamented.

Perhaps because the odds of being kidnapped and murdered by Islamist thugs in Vegas is a bit smaller than in Luxor.

[Perdogg]

What about the ancient astronauts that built the pyramids?