The conflict has raged again over the heritage of the planet of the East, Umm Kulthum, after a private production company claimed to own the ownership rights to this heritage, while an Egyptian government company claims the opposite, and others wonder about the “rights of the heirs.”
The controversy arose after the “Alam Al Fan” company, owned by producer Mohsen Jaber, announced that it owned the intellectual property rights to the legacy of Umm Kulthum, who died in 1975 after a singing career that many consider the most prominent in the history of Arab art.
On Saturday, the governmental “Cairo Audio and Video Company” held a press conference, in which it indicated that producer Mohsen Gaber’s company had dealt with the issue in an unprofessional manner, and that it had proof of its ownership of Umm Kulthum’s heritage.
The Society of Authors and Composers entered the crisis line, announcing, during the press conference, its support for the ownership of Umm Kulthum’s heritage by the governmental “Cairo Voice” company.
The head of the Society of Authors and Composers, Medhat Al-Adl, said that the reason for holding the conference is the confusion and controversy that has arisen and continues to arise regarding the ownership rights to the heritage of the planet East and the symbols of art, and the claim of one of the production companies to own the ownership rights to this heritage, without any right or legal basis.
Al-Adl pointed out that the beneficiary of the legacy of the former singers “must pay the right of the heirs,” according to what was reported by the newspaper.the seventh day“.
On the other hand, Gaber issued a statement in which he revealed his intention to hold a press conference within days, to respond to what he described as the allegations of the Society of Authors and Composers and the Cairo Voice Company regarding the rights to the heritage of the Lady of Arab Singing, according to what the newspaper reported.Sunrise“, Sunday.
At the same time, Jihan El-Desouki, the granddaughter of Kawkab Al-Sharq, announced that she had taken legal measures regarding the dispute over the ownership of Umm Kulthum’s recordings between the Cairo Audio and Visual Company and Alam Al-Fan, according to what the “Alam Al-Fan” website reported.Cairo 24“.
Al-Desouki said, in a statement, that she will take legal measures that will preserve the artistic heritage of Kawkab Al-Sharq Umm Kulthum, and that she will take legal measures to amend the contract (concerning the assignment of rights to Sawt al-Fan) in proportion to the material value of that heritage, which reaches its financial value. “Right now, it’s millions of dollars.”
She added, “The current waiver contract for the exploitation of artistic and literary rights over the heritage of the Planet of the East has become unfair and not commensurate with the material value of that huge artistic heritage.”
