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Translation and Copyright

Iranian Publishers’ Views on the Results of Non-compliance with the Copyright Law in Iran on the Quality and Quantity of Translation Work

Authors

  • Reza Yalsharzeh 📧 Assistant Professor of Translation Studies, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz
  • Roya Monsefi 09144103722 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6374-6182
  • Ali Salmanpour M.A. in Translation Studies, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz

Abstract

Translation and copyright law and their relationship is the subject of many discussions among translation studies researchers. One of the reasons is that the translation of foreign works is subject to the permission of the author of the source text and the unequal power relations between the author and the translator, which has provoked the objection of some translation experts, including Venuti. He has called for major changes in copyright law in favor of translations and translators; so that, the source text can be freely translated after a short period of time without the permission of the author. Venuti's idea is currently being practiced in Iran. Foreign texts are translated and printed in the country without the permission of the original publisher. This study has investigated the impact of the lack of copyright law on the quality and quantity of translation work from the point of view of Iranian publishers based on Venuti’ framework. In this regard, an interview was conducted with twenty-three prominent publishers of the country from five metropolitan cities, and their opinions about non-compliance with the copyright law in Iran on the quality and quantity of translation work were examined using Strauss and Corbin’s Grounded theory. The findings indicate that publishers' haste to translate and publish best-selling works have led to poor translations in many cases, and the phenomenon of parallel work and book production has followed. However, there are few publishers who consider

 

Author Biography

Roya Monsefi, 09144103722

Roya Monsefi is an Assistant Professor of Translation Studies at the Department of English Language and Literature, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran. She received her Ph.D. in Translation Studies from the School of Languages, Literacies and Translation, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her research interests include Rhetorics and Persuasion, Translation of Literary Texts, and Translation and Media. She can be reached via her email address: r.monsefi@azaruniv.ac.ir

References

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Published

2023-01-23

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How to Cite

Yalsharzeh, R., Monsefi, R., & Salmanpour, A. (2023). Translation and Copyright: Iranian Publishers’ Views on the Results of Non-compliance with the Copyright Law in Iran on the Quality and Quantity of Translation Work. Iranian Journal of Translation Studies, 20(80). Retrieved from https://journal.translationstudies.ir/ts/article/view/1031

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Academic Research Paper

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