Indian govt should do something about pirating: Archer

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Mar 06 2016 | 11:28 AM IST
Bestselling author Jeffrey Archer, who was once asked by a young boy in Mumbai selling pirated books if he wanted the latest Archer novel, says the Indian government needs to do something about pirating.
"While I'm aware of the tremendous support I receive in India for my books, the government still needs to do something about pirating," the 75-year-old author says.
"Here's a classic example - they're even putting my name on books that I didn't write," he said in a post on his blog.
The example he cites is of a pirated version of "Passenger to Frankfurt" in which the author's name is wrongly mentioned as Archer's.
"Passenger to Frankfurt" is a spy novel penned by Agatha Christie.
The pirated book's cover more mistakes.
It says "Passenger to Frankfurt" is the next part of Archer's "First Among The Equal".
Whereas Archer's 1984 novel following the careers and personal lives of four fictional British politicians was named "First Among Equals" and not "First Among The Equal".
Last year, he also expressed his anger over some Bollywood producers "stealing" his work without making any compensation.
According to him, his novel "Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less" was made into the rom-com "Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl" and "Kane and Abel" into "Khudgarz" without his permission.
"I am naturally unhappy that Bollywood producers steal my work and make no attempt to make any compensation. It's very disappointing that the Indian government allow them to get away with it. They should of course contact my agent, Jonathan Lloyd at Curtis Brown in London," Archer had told PTI.
Archer had recently come out with the penultimate book of his popular "Clifton Chronicles".
Called "Cometh the Hour", six of its chapters are set in Mumbai. The book's cover has a couple riding a motorcycle with the Gateway of India at the background.
"As six chapters of the book are set in Bombay, we decided to give the Indians an exclusive jacket cover, which I hope my Indian readers will like," the author says.
The seventh and final volume of "Clifton Chronicles" series will hit the book stands in November. The title of the book is "This Was a Man" and will be published by Pan Macmillan India.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 06 2016 | 11:28 AM IST

Next Story