THRISSUR: Books written by Mahatma Gandhi would become public domain from January 1, 2009 and consequently anybody reprinting any of these books would not be under any obligation to pay royalty to the Navajivan Trust, which is the heir to Gandhiji’s properties as per his will, said Navajivan Trust managing trustee Jitendra Thakorebhai Desai.
Talking to reporters here on Friday, he said that as per the provisions of the Indian Copyright Act 1957, the heirs of a book would be entitled to claim copyright and royalty on the book only for 60 years after the death of the author. In the case of Gandhiji’s books, this period would expire on January 1, 2009. However, the Trust would continue to receive royalty from publishers in the US for ten more years, as the period for payment of royalty in America is 70 years.
Desai said that by virtue of the Copyright Act, the Trust had been receiving around Rs 25 lakh every year from publishers in India and abroad by way of royalty. He said that the Trust had been passing on 25 percent of this royalty to the Harijan Sevak Sangh for Harijan service every year, as per the will of Mahatma Gandhi.
He said that in his will Gandhiji had said, “The Navajivan Trust would give to the Harijan Sevak Sangh for Harijan service every year after my demise, 25 percent of the net profit that it earns out of the sale of the books and out of the exercise of their copy-right”. With the books becoming public domain, there would be a substantial drop in the receipt of royalty by the Trust and a fall in the annual grant to the Harijan Sevak Sangh from next year, said Desai.
The new situation from next year is expected to increase the sale of the copies of the books written by Gandhiji as more and more private publishers would venture into the reproduction of these books.
However, the negative impact would be that, being profit-motive, the private publishers would price these books very high. Desai said that the Trust would continue to reprint and sell the books at subsidised rates. The Trust has been offering subsidy ranging from 35 percent to 50 percent on Gandhiji’s books. Gandhiji’s autobiography, available in 12 Indian languages and all major foreign languages, continues to be the all-time best seller, he said.
Gandhiji had written seven books, Hind Swaraj, Key to Health, Ethical Religion, Constructive Programme, My Experiments with Truth (Autobiography), Satyagraha in South Africa and Anasakthi Yoga. Desai said that Hind Swaraj was written in 1909 in Gujarati and a two-year centenary celebration of the book was being organised throughout the country.
He said that he would inaugurate the state-level celebrations in Kerala at a function to be held in the Chembai Music College, Palakkad, on Saturday.