Egypt’s Culture Minister Resigns After Court Upholds Copyright Infringement Ruling

CAIRO – The recent resignation of Egypt’s Culture Minister Gehan Zaki has drawn renewed attention to intellectual property protection in Egypt after a final court ruling found her liable for copyright infringement. The Court of Cassation upheld a decision imposing a fine of 100,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately $2,000) and ordered the withdrawal from circulation of her book titled “Coco Chanel and Qout Al-Qulub.”

Zaki’s resignation last week marked the end of her brief tenure as culture minister but also triggered wider discussions among legal and literary circles about the enforcement of copyright laws in Egypt and the broader Middle East.

Mohamed Aboulghar, an Egyptian writer and professor, told Arab News that the case underscored persistent issues within the publishing industry. “Copyright infringement poses a significant challenge across the region,” he said. “Many books are plagiarized and even published as though they were original works.”

Aboulghar emphasized the necessity of enforcing intellectual property rights to safeguard literary creations. He noted that quotation and citation must adhere to established academic and literary standards, with original sources properly acknowledged to protect authors’ rights.

The dispute originated in 2025 when journalist and researcher Soheir Abdel Hamid filed a lawsuit before Egypt’s Economic Court. Abdel Hamid accused Zaki of infringing on the intellectual property rights of her book, “Lady of the Palace: The Assassination of Qut Al-Qulub Al-Damardashiya.”

Following the court’s ruling, Zaki issued a statement expressing respect for the judiciary’s decisions and confirming her resignation. She also indicated her intention to pursue all available legal remedies, including petitions for reconsideration where permitted by law, underscoring that exercising her legal rights did not conflict with respecting judicial rulings.

Legal experts suggest that the high-profile nature of this case could serve as a catalyst for stronger copyright enforcement mechanisms in Egypt and neighboring countries. The ruling and subsequent resignation highlight the ongoing challenges authors face in protecting their intellectual property in the region.

This case also raises awareness about the importance of clear legal frameworks and judicial support to deter copyright violations and promote respect for creative works.

As Egypt continues to develop its cultural and legal institutions, stakeholders hope that this incident will prompt reforms to better protect authors and publishers from infringement, thereby fostering a more robust intellectual property environment.

The outcome of Zaki’s case and her resignation may thus represent a turning point in the regional discourse on copyright protection, signaling increased accountability for public figures and a renewed focus on upholding authors’ rights.