Jihan Zaki to resign From her position as Egyptian Minister of Culture after a final court ruling required that compensation be paid to her in a dispute over intellectual property related to writer Sohair Abdel Hamid.
The case I was focused About the biography of the life of the Egyptian aristocrat Kut Al Qulub, with the court ruling that Zaki violated the intellectual property rights of the writer Suhair Abdel Hamid in publishing the work.
In a statement Issued On Tuesday, July 7, the Ministry of Culture said that Zaki submitted her resignation to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly “out of respect for the judiciary and to avoid embarrassing the government,” in what it described as a personal matter.
According to the ministry, Zaki said that she respects the rulings of the Egyptian judiciary, and will continue to follow all legal means available to her, including appeals and requests for reconsideration permitted under the law.
The statement added that Madbouly accepted the resignation and thanked Zaki for her efforts during her tenure, wishing her success in her future duties.
The resignation comes after a final ruling was issued by the Economic Court obligating Zaki to do so pays 100,000 Egyptian pounds (US$2,000) in compensation to Abdel Hamid and the disputed book was withdrawn from circulation after the case was reviewed by three intellectual property experts.
This development also came amid calls in Parliament for the government to clarify its position on implementing the ruling.
to talk Sanaa Al-Saeed, a member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, told CNN Arabic that the ruling has become final after exhausting all means of appeal, and that the government’s response will reflect its commitment to the rule of law and the principle of equality before the law.
She also said that the case does not justify amendments to intellectual property legislation, considering that laws should apply equally to government officials and ordinary citizens alike.
The case received special attention because it concerns the minister responsible for cultural affairs in Egypt and the protection of creativity and intellectual property rights.