For many years, publishers and agents have had reservations about actively licensing rights for the titles they control to the Arab World. There were a number of reasons for this, a major one being that until recently many of the countries in the region did not belong to any of the international copyright conventions and there were frequent instances of unauthorised editions, both in translation and reprinted in the original language – some produced on a commercial basis and others through systematic photocopying of complete books, particularly English-language teaching materials and university textbooks. A further deterrent has been the fact that the market is fragmented – a legitimate edition licensed to a publisher in one country in the region would not necessarily be guaranteed distribution to other countries in the region. There is also the issue of censorship, with topics permitted in one country disallowed in others.

 

I believe that the situation is starting to improve in a number of ways. Firstly, almost all the countries concerned now belong to at least one major international copyright convention – only Iraq remain outside the copyright community. Membership of a convention does not of course ensure total copyright compliance – there must be adequate domestic legislation in place and, crucially, the power to enforce it. Local initiatives have been taken to clamp down on piracy, which hurts the interests of legitimate local publishers as well as the interests of foreign copyright holders; for example, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which aims to provide a regional forum for legitimate rights trading, has made it clear that publishers with a known track record of piracy will not be permitted to exhibit. The Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance has initiated an enforcement campaign in the UAE which has resulted in the confiscation of pirated books and arrests. The campaign also covers Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

 

A number of projects have been established to facilitate legal trading in rights. The Kalima translation initiative under the aegis of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) offers subsidies towards the cost of acquiring rights and the cost of translation and will purchase an agreed number of copies of the resulting edition for distribution; 100 titles are selected each year in topics ranging form classic and modern fiction, to biography, autobiography, history, philosophy and popular science. The Spotlight on Rights initiative, administered by KITAB, the joint venture between the Frankfurt Book Fair and ADACH, offers subsidies for selected translations into and out of the Arabic language; this multi-part scheme was met with great enthusiasm when it was launched at the 2009 Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, with applications for titles ranging from illustrated children’s books, literary fiction and illustrated reference books through to specialised academic texts.  Participating Arab publishers were based throughout the region, with applications for books from markets as diverse as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Korea and Japan.  In general print runs for licensed editions in the Arab World tend to be modest and prices low by Western standards, but schemes such as these encourage rights transactions to be conducted in the correct way – and KITAB has reinforced the scheme with training programmes for publishers in the region.

 

It is hoped that book fairs such as those held Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai will also enable foreign publishers to gain a better understanding of the region, the type of books which are suitable for Arab readers and the way in which local publishers work. The 2010 IPA Copyright Symposium will be held in Abu Dhabi in the immediate run-up to the Abu Dhabi International Book fair; key copyright concerns of publishers worldwide will be debated at that event and it should serve to promote mutual understanding of the need to respect copyright.

 

Lynette Owen is Copyright Director at Pearson Education UK and will speak in the session on “International copyright licensing”.

 

Click here to see the Symposium’s Programme.

 

Imagine a post-print world. Even in an industry no longer focused on print publishing, good publishers will still be practising their craft of commissioning good content from suitable authors, developing it and packaging it to create and add value for readers. And indeed, so far the Internet and digital platforms – contrary to initial fears – have complemented print and provided innovative publishers with additional means to serve their readers. The Internet is a challenge for publishers in the sense that value creation for some readers will inevitably include digital publishing and electronic delivery. While in the last few years, electronic publishing and delivery of content was an extra benefit like the GPS navigation system in a modern car, in the future it will become a standard expectation among the majority of readers, like a vehicle’s power steering.

 

For the developing world, improvements in bandwidth and technology will enable innovative publishers to add value at every point in the publishing process. They will be able to improve their production methods, including increasing speed and quality, provide electronic and digital content and offer their clients a choice to pay for merchandise in either the traditional method or online.

Without doubt the debate on free content, open access and copyright will continue to rage, but good, dependable online and digital content will still require the collaborative efforts of authors and publishers and will entail significant investment across the whole book chain—just as it always has. While there will be a lot of free content on the net and publishers will have to compete with this, the value that good publishers add to information and content will remain attractive to users and they will still be willing to pay for it. The Internet without good content is like flaccid veins without the vital blood.

 

While the developing world certainly needs greater access to content, it also has a lot to offer the rest of the world in terms of culture and knowledge. A healthy balance between receiving content and contributing to the global dialogue will be ensured by the use of digital technology to create a viable environment that encourages creativity and enhances access to information and knowledge.

 

I am confident that the Copyright Symposium in Abu Dhabi will provide a vital platform to explore these issues further and offer some suggestions for the future.

 

Brian Wafawarowa is working for New Africa Books in Cape Town, South Africa and will speak in the session on “Competing with free content: copyright, publishing and open access”.

 

Click here to see the Symposium’s Programme.

Leave the crowded streets of the UAE’s bustling modern cities behind you and embark on an exploration of its quieter, more traditional neighbour: the Sultanate of Oman. Inhabited since the Stone Age, Oman’s long history encompasses Islamic rule that dates back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad, a Portuguese invasion in the early 16^th century and several centuries of British influence, coupled with an independent spirit that has seen the country under self-rule since the mid 1700s.

 

Today, like the other GCC nations, Oman’s growth is fuelled by its oil reserves. Yet despite the rapid modernisation it has enjoyed in recent decades, the old ways of life have been to a large degree preserved by the culture-conscious Omani people. From the ancient stone forts dotting the countryside to mountain villages where souks are still a more common sight than supermarkets, Oman offers a unique window in the Gulf’s past.

 

Just a half-day’s drive from Abu Dhabi, the city of Muscat is a must-see for any visitor to the Arabian Gulf. While the Omani capital may have its share of chain restaurants and shopping malls, these trappings of Western influence are a far less important part of the city’s identity than its soaring minarets, traditional covered souk, colourful royal palace and picturesque natural harbour, guarded through the centuries by a pair of imposing Portuguese fortresses. 

 

North of the UAE, a mountainous spit of land juts into the narrow channel of water separating the Arabian Peninsula from Iran. Known as the Musandam Peninsula, this non-contiguous piece of Oman is characterised by sheer cliffs and rugged fjords more hospitable to dolphins and sea turtles than to its human inhabitants. The best place to appreciate Musandam’s breathtaking beauty is aboard a dhow—and the best way to meet its local population is with a snorkel mask and a pair of flippers!             

 

Don’t miss the rich heritage and scenic grandeur of the Sultanate of Oman.