Lawyer Yaser Kantous, the defense for the head of the Egyptian Musicians' Syndicate, Mostafa Kamel, revealed the details of the investigation authorities' decision to refer Malik Salim, owner of the Balaben chain of stores, to a speedy trial; he is accused of infringing on the intellectual property rights of a work of art. Kantous stated in statements picked up by the Egyptian press that the incident began when a report was filed with the Public Prosecutor's office against Malik to take the necessary legal measures regarding what was described as an infringement on artistic works and intellectual property rights. Earlier, singer Mostafa Kamel had posted on his personal Facebook account that an advertisement has been airing for about 3 months that includes one of his musical works, without obtaining permission or consent from him as the composer, lyricist, and performer of the work. He explained that he had previously filed complaints with the Copyright Administration and the Society of Authors and Composers regarding the broadcasting of a copyrighted work without obtaining a waiver or permission from the rights holders.
