tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130549244386310434.post3431335621018676386..comments2023-09-16T02:09:53.331-04:00Comments on Ancient World Bloggers Group (AWBG): Egypt copyrights pyramidsChuck Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12882192031767315365noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130549244386310434.post-77458392147350385482010-09-03T04:33:25.783-04:002010-09-03T04:33:25.783-04:00Please note that I am an Egyptian and may be I am ...Please note that I am an Egyptian and may be I am speaking out of nationalism? That is possible, but still not that possible. <br /><br />The idea behind this law has to be completely greedily commercial, but actually long before they came up with that law, I was thinking it should have been enforced a long ago. <br /><br />Nobody in the world would have the audacity to make a carbon copy of Dubai's Burj al-Arab hotel. Simply because they would be betraying the designers...<br /><br />Most of the artifacts and monuments in Egypt are already on mighty Google's database. That means actually that the needs of 99% of individuals interested in Egypt are satisfied.<br />I guess the other 1% who wouldn't be satisfied are business-kind parties. And those should have no (big) problems to pay for what they want to profit from.<br /><br />I liked so much the genuine comment that was wondering if Greece would copyright democracy. I always appreciate sarcasm so much! But for real, it's beside the point. that would be the case if Egypt would have demanded copyrights for having peace treaties between nations.<br /><br />Let's face it, most of us commits a "crime" everyday, remember downloading a song that you didn't have in an album from BeeMp3.com? watching a full-length movie on Youtube which was chopped off into 25 parts? Liking a girl few years ago down the street and following her just to know where she works or lives so you can track her down next day same time just to say hi?<br /><br />The idea is, man-made laws are USUALLY flexible (still mostly ridiculous), and it heavily depends on the way you commit the crime and sometimes the purpose behind it.<br /><br />I am sure when you try creating (oops, I mean making) full-scale replica of the G<br />reat Pyramid in your backyard (backyard that big would probably be a Texan backyard, kidding), nobody is going to call 911. Unless you try to make profit out of it by letting people in to "enjoy a copy of the Great Pyramid without leaving Texas!"<br /><br />I completely support this law if it is made to preserve the ARTISTIC side of the monuments, not the HISTORICAL side of them.<br />Nice post anyway, keep moving forward.<br /><br />OH MY GOODNESS what a coincidence!, this is unbelievable, the Captcha google is asking me to enter now is Hawasy (sounds to me like Hawass!!! I don't like him that much though!)<br /><br />Adam, Egypt.<br />www.ancient-egypt-history.comAKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06606535975373213562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130549244386310434.post-13525331385326460042008-01-14T19:51:00.000-05:002008-01-14T19:51:00.000-05:00I esp. loved comment # 14 at Boing Boing: "Iraq sh...I esp. loved comment # 14 at <A HREF="http://www.boingboing.net/2007/12/25/egypt-plans-to-copyr.html#comments" REL="nofollow">Boing Boing</A>: "Iraq should pass a law saying writing was first invented in ancient Mesopotamia, and it has a copyright on all writing. Therefore all countries that use writing (including Egypt) should pay royalties on all writing, including all books, advertisements, websites, signages, etc."Francis Deblauwehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13297356316149597185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130549244386310434.post-19798679529978188182008-01-03T16:21:00.000-05:002008-01-03T16:21:00.000-05:00I am not a legal expert, and I think that it would...I am not a legal expert, and I think that it would be interesting to get a legal expert's opinion on this (if one does not already exist) though it appears that <A HREF="http://www.sandmonkey.org/2007/12/27/egypt-to-copyright-pyramids/#comments" REL="nofollow">some people</A> have already had a go at any rate.<BR/><BR/>My initial thought on this (having some interest in the ramifications of international interpretation of copyright law as well as intellectual property and data ownership) is that the copyright ownership does not necessarily rest with the Egyptian Government or the SCA. But that is for the lawyers to debate.<BR/><BR/>With a wider consideration, I am quite pleased that this issue has been raised. Whist Hawass' statement may be prone to misinterpretation and get peoples' backs up, there is most definitely an ethical debate to be had about how curators of ancient artifacts should handle these issues.<BR/><BR/>This is a brief contribution from my lay perspective. Let us accept for the sake of argument that copyright ownership lies with a particular party or individual. In this case, the primary objective of the SCA is to fund upkeep and maintenance. There is an opportunity to consider how funds may be released from organisations that benefit from any concessions that copyright owners give to them. That, I think, opens the possibilities for newer business models to be fashioned. <BR/><BR/>If, on the other hand, we do not accept ownership, and successfully argue the world heritage case (morally, ethically and indeed legally), there exists an opportunity for other funding models to be considered (it belongs to everybody, it needs everybody's support in one way or another). <BR/><BR/>As a general rule, one should not be penny wise and pound foolish. I do wonder how much money would be made from this venture, or indeed how much will be lost, and where the effects either way will be felt.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03366322762545354598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130549244386310434.post-8195638316508547642008-01-03T16:19:00.000-05:002008-01-03T16:19:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03366322762545354598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130549244386310434.post-364534880125043452008-01-03T16:16:00.000-05:002008-01-03T16:16:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03366322762545354598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130549244386310434.post-57878319758132041232008-01-02T08:24:00.000-05:002008-01-02T08:24:00.000-05:00In fact the Greek governement does assert, through...In fact the Greek governement does assert, through their Ministry of Culture, copyright over any photograph taken of any archaeological monument in Greece. It's problematic, among other things because the required fee is expressed in drachmas, and has yet to be re-expressed in euros, and the mechanism for paying/collectin the fee is not clear. The only practical enforcement of the law is that foreign publications which have not dealt with this issues cannot be sold in Ministry of Culture bookstores (i.e. Museum and archaeological site bookstores and kiosks). This is why, ffor instance, you will not find the Agora picture books (http://www.ascsa.edu.gr/publications/p_books.htm) for sale in themuseum in the Atoa of Attalos.Chuck Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12882192031767315365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130549244386310434.post-49476935889525293792008-01-02T00:18:00.000-05:002008-01-02T00:18:00.000-05:00I wonder if Greece will start demanding payments f...I wonder if Greece will start demanding payments for the use of democracy next.Ramon Cashahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12124103789290539670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130549244386310434.post-75100317544149905442007-12-29T10:36:00.000-05:002007-12-29T10:36:00.000-05:00Interesting to note that the Luxor Casino is to be...Interesting to note that the Luxor Casino is to be renovated, and that the Egyptian theme (aside from the shape of the building and the sphinx in front of it), will not be retained:<BR/>http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07198/802094-37.stmChuck Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12882192031767315365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130549244386310434.post-82345992108118149682007-12-28T10:45:00.000-05:002007-12-28T10:45:00.000-05:00See the report in The Guardian:http://arts.guardia...See the report in The Guardian:<BR/><A HREF="http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2232295,00.html" REL="nofollow">http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2232295,00.html</A><BR/>It concludes with this comment:<BR/>"The success of the Egyptian-themed Luxor hotel and casino on the Las Vegas strip may be behind the new effort in Egypt to copyright the country's ancient archaeological wealth."David Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13164794689385933318noreply@blogger.com