SCHOLARS and media industry representatives gathered with international counterparts at a workshop in Yangon last week to discuss a handbook on copyright for use by writers, journalists and publishers.

One of the objectives of the national level workshop was to finalise a Myanmar draft version of the handbook.

The three-day workshop, which began at Traders hotel on September 7 and was attended by about 100 people, was organised by the Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association and the Japan-based Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU), in cooperation with the Japanese government’s Copyright Office.

The Asian Copyright Handbook was produced in English by the ACCU and the Copyright Office in 2004.

The Myanmar draft of the handbook was prepared by an executive member of the Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association, Maung Hsu Shin.

Discussion on the draft centred on issues and challenges involving copyright and how they might be addressed.

In an opening address at the workshop, the Deputy Minister of Information, Brigadier-General Aung Thein, acknowledged the need to implement a copyright law, saying it would help publishing houses to sell on the international market.

“As copyright is not practiced in the country, it has been difficult to export works published in foreign languages,” Brigadier-General Aung Thein said.

He said an international standard book number (ISBN) and international standard serial number (ISSN) were required to export publications.

The chairman of the writers and journalists association, U Hla Myaing, told the workshop that a copyright law enacted in 1911 had not been upgraded.

“Myanmar people usually rely on the social practice of arbitration or mediation if there are any disputes over the rights of ownership,” U Hla Myaing said.
He said Myanmar needed to bring its copyright laws in line with those of other countries.

The workshop was also addressed by a senior official from Japan’s Copyright Office, Mr Kentaro Tanaka, who said copyright served as a foundation for cultural development in a country.

Mr Tanaka, the deputy director of the international affairs division of the office, said that by supporting the economic interests and the dignity of authors, musicians and artists, copyright “stimulates and encourages their new creative activities.”

Mr Tanaka said that in the interests of fostering copyright protection “it is extremely important that every citizen has an awareness and basic understanding of copyright.”

Copyright was important not only for “creators” but also for ordinary people, he said.

Myanmar is the second country, after Vietnam, in which the ACCU has sought to raise awareness about copyright issues by helping to produce a local version of the handbook.

Once the handbook is finalised and approved by the authorities, it will be distributed free of charge by the writers and journalists association.

Since 1971, the ACCU has been promoting awareness on copyright issues among publishers, writers and artists in Asia and the Pacific through training programs and other activities.