Pirates are fleecing Arab publishing sector, says official

Sharjah: Book pirates are trying to hijack the publishing industry in the Arab region, a Sharjah government official warned yesterday.

The Book Fair was inaugurated by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who himself has authored 19 books, including The Inborn Prejudice. Dr Shaikh Sultan visited the stalls, speaking with publishers for nearly two hours.

Pirated books are sneaked into book fairs like the Sharjah Book Fair, because some Arab countries have not signed the copyright protection agreement, said Dr Yousuf Aydabi, Director of the Department of Culture and Information, which organises the yearly book fair. "It takes time to find out when a book published in Lebanon is pirated in Sudan," he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Sharjah Book Fair, he said the UAE adheres to the copyright agreement and is working with the Arab Publishers Union and the GCC book committee to catch the pirates and confiscate the books. The UAE and the Arab Union reports such infringements at the book fairs and the pirates have had to take notice, he said. "They are beginning to get afraid," he said.

Publishers at the fair said piracy has had a big impact on the sales. "Many book shops in the UAE are selling pirated versions," said a salesman of a department store. The other reason is that fewer Arabs are reading books today, said another salesman.

Arab children do not read books, Dr Aydabi said, warning that it is the fault of the education system which does not allow the child to read for pleasure. "The children only read what is needed for their homework," he said. "That information, too, is gathered quickly from the internet."

What, where, when

• Sharjah Book Fair runs from December 6 to 16.
• Timings: Weekdays 5pm to 10.30pm; Fridays 4.30pm to 10.30pm
• 30,00 Arabic titles on sale
• 17,000 English language titles on sale at discounts ranging from 25 per cent to 40 per cent
• Dr Shaikh Sultan donates Dh1.5 million every year for the purchase of books for schools and children's clubs