Each year UNESCO and the rest of the world celebrate World Book Day on April 23. It is a very important day for international book publishing because it is a worldwide celebration to promote reading and enjoyment of books. About 100 countries and more than a million people join in the celebration.

Although the sale of books has declined, it is expected that it will again stabilize, gauging from the steadily increasing number of self-published books. It cannot be denied that books still have the power to connect cultures and generations.

What is World Book Day?

During the celebration of World Book and Copyright Day, the international organizations representing libraries, booksellers, and publishers, together with UNESCO, choose a city to be the World Book Capital from April 23 until the succeeding year to maintain a series of activities for the annual observance.

Significance of the Date

23 April 1995 was the first time the World Book and Copyright Day was celebrated. The inspiration for the celebration came from the tradition in Catalonia, Spain. Catalonia’s patron saint is St. George. According to local legend, St. George slayed the dragon on April 23 and saved a princess from being sacrificed. A rosebush grew on the spot where the dragon’s blood dripped. St. George (St. Jordi) picked the rose and gave it to the princess.

From then on, the tradition of a man giving a rose to the person he loves on St. George’s Day started.

In the 1920s, a bookseller from Catalonia realized that April 23 was the death anniversary of revered authors Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare. He promoted the date as a good time to present someone with a book instead of a rose. Many followed the idea, which led to the birth of “The Day of the Book” or El Dia de Libre in Catalan.

The tradition is deeply established in Barcelona, the publishing hub for books in Spanish and Catalan languages. In the region, a book is exchanged for a rose, and the gift-giving tradition on April 23 does not distinguish between genders.

Most of the annual book purchases in Catalonia happen during the region’s Book and Rose Fair. Booksellers present a rose to anyone who buys a book. Various other activities are planned during the event and many authors and publishers launch their books during the fair.

World Book Day

Barcelona’s annual Book and Rose Fair gave UNESCO the idea to declare April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day. Those who celebrate World Book Day honor Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, William Shakespeare, and Miguel de Cervantes, who all died on April 23, 1616. It is also the day to honor books, authors, and the copyright laws that protect the intellectual properties of the authors. Naturally, the events of World Book Day also promote reading and the book industry as a whole.

A few authors were born on April 23, such as Manuel Mejía Vallejo, Halldór Kiljan Laxness, and Maurice Druon. Russian-American translator, entomologist, and novelist Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was born a day early in 1899. Catalan novelist and journalist Josep Pla died on April 23, 1981.

Various other factors make World Book Day very significant. It declares the intent of UNESCO to support equal access to knowledge, diversity, and creativity. Various organizations work together to promote mobile learning, literacy, open access to educational resources, and scientific knowledge.

What is a Copyright?

Copyright, represented by the symbol ©, protects intellectual property provided by a country’s laws. It provides an originator/creator/author the exclusive legal right to publish, print, reproduce, record, film, or perform literary, musical, or artistic material. Copyright protects different work categories, such as software, movies, photographs, live performances, literary works, and paintings.

One very important thing to remember is that as the owner of the work, you only have 90 days or less to register your copyright, or your claim for damages due to infringement may be minimal.

Understanding Copyright Laws

Repeating the copyrights if you copy something does not make it legal. The best way to do it for printed and online works is to credit the author, even if it is unnecessary. It could prevent you from being accused of copyright infringement, which has legal implications. Moreover, it shows that you follow sound business ethics and are committed to being a professional. Here’s what to keep in mind:

Limited Copyright Protection

Although copyright provides protection, not everything is covered by copyright. This includes magazine and newspaper headlines, song/poem or book titles or small quotes from copyrighted materials. However, it is best to give credit to the original author.

Poor Man’s Copyright

Some authors/originators/creators believe that mailing a copy of the work in a sealed envelope is already proof that they have produced a work. Often called ”poor man’s copyright,” this practice does not protect the work and the stamped and delivered envelope that contained your work will not be admitted as evidence by a court if there is a question of a work’s ownership. If you are the author or original owner of the work, it is in your best interest to properly copyright-register the work.

Without formal copyright registration, you cannot claim copyright infringement against someone in the United States.

Importance of Copyright to Authors

An author’s work is legally protected by copyright. It protects something tangible from literary piracy, especially today when digital distribution and reproduction are very easy.

If you register your original work for copyright, you have proof of ownership, which means you protect your work as it is your intellectual property. You can control how you make money out of your original work.

An author owns the copyright to his or her literary publication. A book contract controls which parts of the copyright are to be used and the payment that the publisher of the book should receive.

Copyright is granted to original works that are fully developed and fleshed out. Copyright would not be able to protect modes of operation, ideas, or facts. However, a copyright can protect unpublished and published works.

Book authors must register their work so their copyright will be included in the public record, and the author will have a registration certificate that is their proof of ownership.

However, an author has to remember that titles are not subject to copyright.

If you are from the United States, your copyright is recognized in many countries, as the U.S. has copyright relations worldwide. These agreements are why UNESCO created World Book and Copyright Day. The organization aims to honor the copyrights of all citizens and focus on the value of copyright on a global level.

Activities to Celebrate World Book Day

At the headquarters of UNESCO, several activities take place on World Book Day. Invitations are sent to artists, publishing companies, and booksellers to have practical workshops in different activities for young people, such as manga creation, bookbinding, illustration, and typography. You can preview the activities by checking out the World Book Day website through the United Nations educational portal online.

In Spain, the country holds a ”readathon” for two days. The winner receives the Miguel de Cervantes Prize, traditionally given out in Alcalá de Henares by the King of Spain.

As mentioned, the locals exchange roses and books in Catalonia during the celebration of World Book Day.

In many countries that celebrate World Book and Copyright Day, the public is invited to read books in public areas, such as in cafés, parks, and buses. They are also requested to share their books with others at their local library. In essence, the tradition of this international day is kept alive by a cultural organization that feels like a global book club.

Final Thoughts

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