فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
The Moroccan Union of Dramatic Arts Professionals expressed surprise at a statement circulated on Monday, June 2, 2025, via social media and WhatsApp, attributed to the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication – Communication Sector. The statement invited attendees to a press conference scheduled for Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at the Mohammed V Theater in Rabat, organized by what it called the “Supervisory Committee for the Elections of Authors’ and Related Rights Holders’ Representatives to the Board of the Moroccan Copyright Office (BMDA).”
According to the statement, this committee was established by ministerial decree to oversee and organize the electoral process, determine eligible voters, set candidacy conditions, and supervise the election stages up to the announcement of results—while emphasizing integrity, transparency, and equal opportunity.
Union’s Legal Objection and Reaction
The union denounced this action as “strange and illegal,” stressing that Law No. 25.19 governing the Moroccan Copyright Office does not provide for any ministerial decree to regulate the election of rights-holders’ associations. The formation of such associations, it noted, falls under the Sherifian Dahir on the Right to Establish Associations, making it the exclusive prerogative of civil society.
The union also pointed out that Decree No. 2.23.112 does not grant the Communication Sector any authority in forming or electing rights-holder associations. These associations are supposed to be independently formed and their presidents take part in the Board alongside government-appointed members. The union questioned why the ministry is interfering in shaping associations that represent only a minority within a Board mostly composed of government-appointed members.
Union: The Law Was “Stillborn” – Calls for Reform
The union reaffirmed that Law 25.19 was “born dead,” recalling that it and its partners had previously voiced this position and submitted reform proposals. It argued the law fails to separate the state’s oversight role from the decision-making role of rights holders, accusing the government of sidestepping reforms by issuing ambiguous decisions instead of returning the law to Parliament for necessary amendments.
The union rejected what it sees as the Ministry’s underestimation of artists’ and rights holders’ intelligence, considering this type of intervention a violation of public freedoms law.
Demands and Constitutional Reference
The union demanded a review of the law and the electoral process, urging adherence to democratic principles and the constitutional rights of rights holders. It cited Article 26 of the Constitution, which ensures the freedom to create professional associations without imposed structural limitations.
It emphasized that the formation of a Board composed mostly of government-appointed members and conditioning rights-holder representation on the existence of a single association per category is unrealistic and contrary to the spirit of pluralism in association creation.
These developments arise amid ongoing controversy surrounding Morocco’s copyright and related rights law, with increasing calls for transparency and genuine participation by rights holders in managing their institutions and protecting their legal and artistic interests.
Source: Fesnews Media
