It’s high time global publishers took a fresh look at Egypt, both as a potential market and as a source of rights to world-class literature

Egypt is overhauling its intellectual property framework through a new national strategy and dedicated authority, presenting fresh opportunities and compliance challenges for publishing professionals.

New Governance Structure

The Egyptian Intellectual Property Authority (EIPA), operational since July 2023, consolidates seven disparate ministries’ functions into a single body. This centralisation addresses chronic enforcement gaps that have long plagued creators.

Hesham Azmy, EIPA’s chairman, frames the shift as constitutional duty meeting economic necessity – Egypt ranks 86th globally in innovation despite pioneering Arabic publishing, cinema, and broadcasting.

Legislative Modernisation

Law 82 of 2002 is being updated for the digital era, covering AI-generated works and cross-border licensing.

Of particular relevance to publishers: Egypt is implementing the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate accessible formats for visually impaired readers, aligning domestic law with WIPO standards.

The authority is also reviving collective management societies – royalty collection bodies dormant since the 1940s – with new organisations now serving drama writers and artists.

Economic Valorisation

EIPA is cataloguing IP assets across nine sectors, including publishing and media, to commercialise Egypt’s cultural heritage. This includes digitising film archives and traditional crafts, bridging academia-industry divides through technology transfer, and promoting licensing confidence.

For publishers, this signals potential partnerships in educational content and regional rights exploitation.

Awareness and Enforcement

A national campaign targeting schools and universities aims to shift public attitudes toward copyright. EIPA departments now hold judicial enforcement powers, coordinating with customs and police via a permanent inter-ministerial committee – addressing a historic weakness in rights protection.

The View From The Beach

The reforms promise stronger rights protection and new revenue streams, but demand vigilance on compliance with evolving digital regulations and treaty obligations.

Egypt’s 11 scientific and innovation clusters, including Cairo’s debut in the top 100 global hubs, suggest a growing knowledge economy ready for international collaboration.

Add to that the imminent Cairo International Book Fair, by far the largest book fair in the world, and it’s high time global publishers took a fresh look at Egypt, both as a potential market and as a source of rights to world-class literature.

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.