On-line Translation of Harry Potter Sparks Legal Row

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, July 30, 2003

On-line Translation of Harry Potter Sparks Legal Row

Impatient Harry Potter fans have sparked a legal row by putting their own translations of J. K. Rowling's latest novel on-line.

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Impatient Harry Potter fans have sparked a legal row by putting their own translations of J. K. Rowling's latest novel on-line.

The English-language edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was published worldwide in June by Bloomsbury, but an official Chinese translation is not due for publication until September, according to Wednesday's China Daily.

The unauthorized on-line translation had already covered 35 of the book's 38 chapters by Monday.

Those behind the on-line Chinese version stressed their actionsarose out of "personal interest and partly discontent at the slowness of the authorized publishing houses."

Supporters of the amateur translators said the on-line translation was not aimed at making a profit, which made it "totally different from illegal publishers".

However, both legal experts and government officials said the translators of the on-line version have violated the author's copyright.

Duan Yuping, an official with the State Press and Publication Administration, said that the Copyright Law stipulates that those who translate works without authorization and those who spread works through an information network without authorization have tobear civil and criminal responsibility.

"In this case, the translators of the on-line Chinese version will be investigated under the law only when the book's copyright owner sues," Duan said.

The People's Literature Publishing House, the authorized publisher of the book's translation in simplified Chinese characters, said it would not sue the on-line translators because it has not acquired the right to publish the book in electronic form.

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