Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1278887
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 AUGUST 2020 6 CULTURE National Book Council drafts publishing industry laws SINCE the convening of the first National Writers' Congress and the annual consultation meeting with publishers and other stake- holders held in 2019, the Nation- al Book Council has started the process to produce a legislative framework for the upholding of standards and professional me- diation in the publishing indus- try. This process coincided with the adoption of the European Union Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single-Market for which the National Book Council served as lead-entity in the Maltese Government's ne- gotiations at EU negotiations. Following a multi-pronged strategy, the National Book Council is presenting a holistic legislative framework which in- troduces basic standards in the industry and simultaneously transposes the legal provisions of the EU Directive. The legislative framework is divided in four main parts: 1) With the aim of provid- ing the National Book Council with more autonomy from the political arm of government, the legal notice establishing the National Book Council is being renewed as an Act of Parlia- ment. This will also empower authors further by allowing them to decide on their poli- cy-priorities within the Nation- al Writers' Congress, and shall include illustrators as official stakeholders to the book indus- try. This bill is being published for a thirty-day consultation period with stakeholders. 2) The transposition of the European Union Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market into domestic law. This will provide for the introduc- tion of EU-standard mediation mechanisms and contractual standards in the industry, em- power rights-holders against digital copyright infringement, empower CMOs to take collec- tive decisions on commercial rights issues, and ensure that press publishers have the nec- essary legal rights relating to online news feeds. This bill is being published for a thirty-day consultation period with stake- holders. 3) The enactment of the agreement with the Ministry for Education and Employment on the Educational Exception to provide rights-holders with rights payments over the use of their work in the public ed- ucation system and ensure compliance with the said EU DSM Directive. This agree- ment is currently being final- ised through discussions with education and Ministry repre- sentatives. 4) Fiscal incentives which in- centivise industry stakeholders to adhere to professional stand- ards, namely making authors' royalty payments tax-free, and allowing publishers to claim a 200% tax refund over all roy- alty payments paid to authors. A legal notice on these tax in- centives will be published fol- lowing the 2020 Government Budget later this year. The National Book Council invites stakeholders to provide their feedback to the draft le- gal acts. The contents of these acts have been formulated fol- lowing lengthy consultation discussions with all stakehold- ers and during the Writers' Congress over the past year. We confidently believe that we are presenting a professional legislative framework which will incentivise the industry to keep growing. Following the thirty-day period, the Nation- al Book Council will make any necessary changes which may be required to eventually pres- ent the bill for the next parlia- mentary session. We would like to thank all our stakeholders, professionals, technicians, and lawyers who have helped us conclude this very lengthy and arduous pro- cess. It is only with all of your support that we may keep re- iterating with the government the importance of sustaining and supporting the local book and publishing industry. The National Book Council has started the process to produce a legislative framework for the upholding of standards and professional mediation in the publishing industry Writing competition to promote environmental awareness ON Wednesday 12th August 2020, the National Literacy Agency in collaboration with the Ministry for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning, launched a writing competition with the aim of raising further awareness on the importance of safeguarding the marine envi- ronment of our islands. The objective of this compe- tition, which forms part of the 'Saving Our Blue' campaign, is to encourage primary and sec- ondary school pupils to pro- mote the conservation of our seas and beaches through their creative writing skills. Inter- ested participants can write a short story, a poem, or a jour- nal entry keeping in mind the theme and not exceeding 300 words. The competition will have four categories, as fol- lows: Year 3 and 4 (Primary), Year 5 and 6 (Primary), Years 7 and 8 (Secondary), and Years 9 to 11 (Secondary). All pupils who take part will be given a certificate of partic- ipation and a memento from both entities. The best three writings from the four cate- gories will be awarded a prize and may be given the oppor- tunity to publish their writing through the National Literacy Agency. The Agency would like to in- vite all pupils residing in Malta and Gozo to participate in this competition and help the Min- istry raise awareness about the conservation of our shores. En- tries are to be sent via email to nla@ilearn.edu.mt or by post to the following address, Nation- al Literacy Agency, National Curriculum Centre, 'Writing Stars', Joseph Abela Scolaro Street, Hamrun, HMR 1304. The closing date for this com- petition is Friday, 11th Sep- tember 2020. For further in- formation on this competition please visit the Facebook page Brillantini tal-Qari or call 2598 3301.