Plea in Bombay High Court seeking permission to translate Gandhi’s disciple’s book

A petition has been filed before the Bombay High Court seeking permission to translate a book by Mahatma Gandhi’s disciple Madeleine Slade from English to Hindi.

A single Bench of Justice Manish Pitale was hearing a plea filed by one Anil Karkhanis, a resident of Belapur, under the Copyright Act requesting for grant of license to produce and publish a translation of literary work titled, ‘The Spirit’s Pilgrimage’ by Ms. Slade also known as Mira Behn.

The plea mentions, “The work was published in India in the year 1960 by Orient Longman Private Limited and in Great Britain by the publisher Longmans, Green & Co. Ms. Slade passed away on July 20, 1982, but since the book was published in India in 1960, the conditions for grant of license under the Act are satisfied.”

Advocate appearing for Mr. Karkhanis said, “None of the Publishers exist as of today. An abridged version of the said work was translated into Marathi by one Mr. Ranga Marathe and it was published by Kirloskar Press, but neither the said Translator nor the Press exists. Hence the petition. The intention to produce and publish the translation is not for private use or any commercial enterprise but the petitioner intends to translate the work in Marathi for public interest.”

The Court directed the Registrar of Copyrights to publish a public notice concerning the present petition moved by the petitioner under the Act seeking a license to produce and publish a translation of the said work in the copyright Journal made available at the Copyright office.”

The Court directed Mr. Karkhanis to publish a notice in two newspapers, Free Press Journal (English) and Loksatta (Marathi) and adjourned the matter to be heard on February 15, 2023.