Public Performance Rights .. For the Dignity of the Creator
For decades in Egypt, the crisis of "public performance rights" remained a deep wound in the body of the artistic community—an issue left unaddressed as long as stars lived under the spotlight of fame and prosperity, yet turning into a true tragedy once the limelight faded or old age and illness took their toll.
The root of the crisis lay in an unfair equation: an actor is paid once during the filming of the artistic work, while production companies continue to market it to satellite channels and digital platforms, rerunning the work and profiting from it for decades, reaping millions of pounds in advertising revenue, without the original creator or their heirs receiving even a modest percentage of these ongoing profits.
Producers' Concerns vs. Artists' Livelihoods
With the beginning of actual steps toward passing the regulation, a heated dispute erupted between the artistic syndicates on the one hand and the Chamber of Cinema Industry and production companies on the other.
The objections of production companies were based on the argument that the producer is the one who bears the full financial risk of the project and covers all exorbitant production costs. They confronted the matter with grave apprehension that enforcing "public performance rights" would impose additional financial burdens threatening the continuity of the cinema and drama industry, pointing out that top stars already receive massive remuneration.
In turn, the artistic syndicates responded clearly that collecting fees for "public performance" will never be deducted from the producer's pocket, nor will producers bear any additional burdens; rather, it is legally collected from broadcasting and exhibiting entities (channels, platforms, and cinemas) that reap daily profits from rebroadcasts. The ultimate goal of the decision was to protect minor and elderly artists who enriched the screen with their timeless works only to find themselves facing life's hardships and the heavy costs of medical treatment in the autumn of their lives.
Artistic Unity and Historical Resolve
Prior to the official announcement of enacting the regulation, behind the scenes witnessed unprecedented momentum and decisive marathon meetings between the Actors Syndicate, headed by Dr. Ashraf Zaki, and the Cinema Professions Syndicate, headed by director Mossad Fouda, alongside the Drama Writers Association.
In these moments, the highest forms of artistic solidarity were evident, as Egypt's leading stars and acting titans stood shoulder to shoulder with the syndicate. Top-earning stars stood side by side with their fellow supporting and young actors, affirming that the issue is neither personal nor a pursuit of money, but a battle to establish a "unified contract" that restores the prestige of artistic dignity and serves as an explicit enforcement of the Intellectual Property Law.
Parliamentary and syndical pressure extended into the halls of the Egyptian Senate through effective actions—led by the efforts of artist and Senator Yasser Galal—culminating decades of struggle by late prominent figures and creators whose legacy today's generation calls to carry forward.
A Historic Victory and Enforcement of the Decision
Following intense behind-the-scenes negotiations and clarifying legal ambiguities for institutions, the dream turned into a tangible reality with the official announcement of the activation of the law and the right to "public performance" under definitive regulations and frameworks ensuring actors a fair and ongoing royalty for every rerun of their works.
This decision was not merely an executive text; rather, it brought an end to long decades of neglect, enabling Egypt to become an artistic ecosystem that protects its creators and anchors a humanitarian and ethical principle before a legal one: "The creator lives on through their work, and their rights remain safeguarded as long as their creations pulse with life on screens."