Combating plagiarism
World Book and
Copyright Day (also known as International Day of the Book or World Book
Days) is a yearly event on 23 April, organized by UNESCO to promote
reading, publishing and copyright. The Day was first celebrated in 1995
Ishara JAYAWARDANE
Who can deny the power of books such as Lord of the Rings, The never
ending story and the Chronicles of Narnia? For those of us who have
grown to appreciate books such as these we have discovered its power of
transporting us to distant lands of magic and imagination.
 Books
can mainly be categorized as books of fact and books of fiction. I
personally love books of fiction, mainly, because it is a doorway to
realms of fantasy that give me an indescribable sense of happiness.
Where does one even begin to describe the value of books? Can I even
include the names of those old masters who have put pen to paper and
created fantastic voyages of the mind. I cannot. There are too many of
them.
A book is a treasure. A gift... How many in this world have escaped
their grim surroundings and found refuge in books? How many of us have
found meaning in their lives simply because of a book? So many of us can
proudly say that we are in a better place, living a better life than we
were before, because of reading a single book. A single book transformed
our lives. Made a difference in our lives.
"Copyright is an important factor. It protects the rights of writers.
To protect their own work... But one of the practical problems in Sri
Lanka is that many English books are translated into Sinhala language
with no permission from the author or publisher. This is a very serious
problem. It is mainly a small amount that has to be paid. They must get
the rights to publication," said President of the booksellers and
importers association and vice president of the book publishers
association, Vijitha Yapa.
"Printing of books without permission from the original publisher is
another problem. Reprinting without permission from the original
publisher is another issue. This is an issue we booksellers have tried
to tackle. We have attended seminars on this. Not enough is being done
by the authorities here to crack down on these pirates," added. Yapa.
What are the origins of the World and Book and Copyright day? Well I
can tell you one thing, it certainly was romantic.
"The connection between 23 April and books was first made to honour
the author Miguel de Cervantes who died on that day.
This became a part of the celebrations of the Saint George's Day
(also 23 April) in Catalonia, where it has been traditional since the
medieval era for men to give roses to their lovers and since 1925 for
the woman to give a book in exchange.
Half the yearly sales of books in Catalonia are at this time with
over 400,000 sold and exchanged for over 4 million roses." - Wikipedia
In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day would be
celebrated on this date because of the Catalonian festival and because
the date is also the anniversary of the birth and death of William
Shakespeare, the death of Miguel de Cervantes, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega
and Josep Pla, the birth of Maurice Druon, Vladimir Nabokov, Manuel
Mejía Vallejo and Halldór Laxness.
"The annual UNESCO-led WBCD celebration this year "suggests to
explore the topic of the paramount function of books for the development
of quality education as well as the link between publishing and human
rights." It seeks "to embrace" all types of library users.
Some libraries will feature a reading of Braille books, while in a
library of a school for the deaf, a few sign-language activities will be
held" - Manila Bulletin publishing corporation.
UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor today issued a message to
observe April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day. UNESCO's General
Conference established the Day in 1995 to promote reading, publishing
and the protection of intellectual property. The text of the Mayor's
message follows: "In proclaiming 23 April 'World Book and Copyright
Day', the General Conference of UNESCO wished to draw the continuing
attention of the international community to the culture of writing and
the importance of creativity for the content of communication.
Whether in their conventional form or in the sophisticated form made
possible by the new technologies, books remain both an instrument of
reflection and an irreplaceable tool for literacy and education in all
countries, rich and poor. They are thus a worldwide key to the
development of the individual.
He also added; "True enough, some of the content of books is now
forsaking the traditional medium of the written page for electronic
formats.
Digitized and highly compressed by cutting-edge technology, these
messages are now able to span the planet showing up, in a matter of
seconds, on a screen at the other ends of the earth.
This new mode of reading changes nothing about the fundamental nature
of writing, for writing is the most obedient and 'patient' medium, that
which has the greatest respect for the reader's own pace; it is that
which allows in-depth examination and the critical analysis of content. |
