New Judicial Development in the Case of Maha El-Soghayer's Theft of Celebrity Artwork

SadaNews - The Egyptian media personality Maha El-Soghayer has been referred to the Economic Court following the completion of investigations into a case of violating the intellectual property rights of international artists, a case that has stirred widespread controversy in Egypt since last July.

Investigations revealed that Maha used protected artworks without obtaining permission from their owners, prompting the copyright holders to file an official complaint against her and demand that the authorities take necessary legal actions.

Informed sources stated that the case has been officially registered in the Economic Court, which is preparing to examine it in the coming days after completing hearings from all concerned parties.

Maha El-Soghayer appeared on an episode of the program "With You, Mona El-Shazly" where she showcased a collection of paintings that she claimed were her own creations. In one scene, Maha explained that the paintings express women striving for freedom and expression, which led the audience to praise her artistic talent, considering her a new addition to the world of visual arts.

However, shortly after, followers noticed that one of the paintings matched a work by Danish artist Lisa Lax Nielsen, raising a wave of questions on social media and opening the door for accusations regarding the attribution of artworks not belonging to her.

Following the controversy, the Danish artist Lisa Lax Nielsen came forward to confirm that the work belonged to her and that her name was not cited as the source. Later, it became evident that there were other paintings attributed to Maha that matched works by artists from Germany and France.

As visual evidence accumulated, several lawyers filed official complaints against Maha El-Soghayer, accusing her of violating intellectual property rights and using protected works without permission from their owners, demanding that the relevant authorities take necessary legal actions.

As the crisis escalated, Maha El-Soghayer released a video on her official account admitting her mistake and publicly apologizing to the affected artists. She affirmed that she did not intend to offend or steal and that she was going through a difficult personal period following her separation from her husband, artist Ahmed El-Sakka, which affected her decisions.

Maha's apology elicited mixed opinions; while some felt that she faced the situation with courage, others believed her apology was insufficient given the harm inflicted on the original creators.

The Higher Council for Media Regulation in Egypt issued a decision banning Maha El-Soghayer from media appearances for six months, with the incident referred to the Public Prosecution for investigation into the infringement of intellectual property rights.

In a subsequent development, investigative authorities decided to refer her to the Economic Court after confirming the use of protected artworks without prior permission, which constitutes a violation of Egyptian law and international agreements related to intellectual property rights.

The crisis was not limited to the media aspect only, but extended to her personal brand of handbags, which faced similar accusations of copying designs from international brands. This led to the closure of the official account of the brand on social media, and a decline in commercial collaborations that she had with several local designers.

Her television program was also affected, as the channel management deleted promotional clips for the controversial episode, and similar segments discussing artworks were reconsidered to avoid any future violations.

The crisis of Maha El-Soghayer reignited the discussion on intellectual property rights in Egypt and the Arab world, especially in light of the proliferation of social media platforms and the ease of sharing artistic works.

Followers questioned the awareness of celebrities and media figures regarding the laws that protect artists, asserting that fame does not exempt anyone from adhering to the rights of others, and that any content presented to the public should be well-sourced and authorized for use.