In an open letter to the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati, 435 publishers and book sellers have demanded the law intervene against the illegal release of their books.
Following recent attempts by Tehran Publishers and Booksellers Association to dismantle the underworld of 'book theft', the letter urges the minister to take decisive action to protect their rights and stop the illegal phenomenon, Tasnim News reported.
"It has been several years since recent digital technology enabled illegal print or electronic publications of books, particularly the books in demand.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of a decisive response against this criminal pattern, the people involved in the practice and their illegal publications have been of the ascending order," the letter complained. It went on to say that the "illegality of the practice hardly provokes shame nor is reprimanded as before. Some of the books, including high quality fakes, are eventually finding their way to bookstores. Some known websites are also redistributing illegal electronic books."
If this continues, publishers, authors and translators will certainly suffer great losses both financially and with respect to intellectual rights, the signatories said. "Eventually they will not be able to release new works, which does not bode well for the culture and literature of our nation and its future generations."
Appealing for urgent action, the publishers told Jannati, "As there has been no cooperation from the government (including your ministry), the sporadic attempts by Tehran Publishers and Booksellers Association against illegal publications have been futile. We, publishers and booksellers, the signatories of this petition, request you as the country's most senior cultural authority to issue clear and unambiguous orders for the swift eradication of such illegal activities."
The signatories included prominent publications such as Hermes Records, Qoqnous Publication, Agah Publishing House, Farhang-e Moaser Publication and Book City Publications.
