Recently, an economic court in Egypt imposed a fine of one million Egyptian pounds on a well-known mobile company for using three songs by the late poet Salah Jahin in a Ramadan advertisement for 2022 without obtaining official permission from his heirs.
This ruling underscores the importance of respecting the rights of authors and their heirs after their death, particularly when the artistic work has left a significant mark on the history of Arab art, as was the case with Salah Jahin’s works, which remain a vital part of Egypt’s artistic heritage.
Songs Involved in Salah Jahin’s Case
The songs at the center of this case are “El Dunya Rabee” (The World is Spring), “Ya Wad Ya Teel” (Oh Heavy Boy), and “Khaly Balak Men Zuzu” (Watch Out for Zuzu). These songs were originally performed by the late artist Soad Hosny and have become an integral part of the artistic memory of both Egyptians and Arabs.
Despite the immense popularity these songs garnered since their release, the use of them in the advertisement without proper authorization from Jahin’s family led his heirs to seek legal recourse to secure their rights.
