Iranian publisher says wrangle over copyright of author Kuper’s work settled

TEHRAN,Nov.6(MNA) -- An official of the Iranian publishing company Cheshmeh said that misunderstandings about the copyright of the Persian version of “Football against the Enemies” have been cleared up. “Translator Adel Ferdowsipur has recently contacted author Simon Kuper through email and briefed him on the atmosphere predominating in Iran concerning translating and publishing of foreign authors’ works and the problem was solved,” Behrang Kianian told on Saturday. Kuper was angered after he stumbled upon a description of the Persian translation of his “Football against the Enemies” by Cheshmeh Publications on the Tehran International Book Fair’s website, Kuper told The Financial Times in late October. “Cheshmeh Publications hadn’t informed me,” he noted. Kuper was unaware that Iran has not joined the Berne Convention on the world copyright law and this is the reason for the arguments over the copyright of the Persian version of “Football against the Enemies”, Kianian said. “Surely, Mr. Kuper is right in this issue, but, unfortunately, here the (publishing) conditions are different: Iranian publishers deem that only a call will suffice to allow them to translate and publish books by foreign publishers,” he added. Iranian translator Ferdowsipur, who is also the anchor on the popular TV program “90”, has refused comment. He deferred to the publisher for commenting on the issue. The Persian version of “Football against the Enemies” is now in its fourth edition.