Any copies in circulation amount to copyright infringement, says Penguin

NEW DELHI : After the publisher's post late Monday that Gen M M Naravane's memoirs, 'Four Stars of Destiny', had not yet been published, the former Army chief tagged Penguin's post Tuesday and said, "This is the status of the book."

Leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi has justified his insistence on citing purported extracts from Naravane's memoir by challenging the govt's stand that he cannot quote from an unpublished book. Even after Penguin's clarification, he repeated his claim that the book was published.




Citing a 2023 social media post by Naravane that said, "My book is now available. Follow the link. Happy reading. Jai Hind," Gandhi said the tweet contradicted Penguin's position and argued both versions cannot be true.

"The point is simple," Gandhi said outside Parliament. "Either Naravane is lying or Penguin is. I believe the former. I don't think he will lie. Somebody needs to clarify... both cannot be telling the truth."

Neither he nor anyone from the opposition responded to Naravane's statement seconding Penguin's claim.

Gandhi was seen flashing a purported copy of the memoir in the Parliament complex last week. He has also sought to cite excerpts from the book in the Lok Sabha since Feb 2 but has been stopped on grounds that the book has not yet been published.

Penguin India, said it holds the sole publishing rights and that any copies currently in circulation, in whole or in part, amount to copyright infringement and warned of legal action.

The publisher also sought to clear confusion over online listings, stressing that a book is considered published only when it is available for purchase across retail channels. "Pre-order is a standard publishing practice," it said, adding that "an announced book, a book available for pre-order, and a published book are not the same thing".

The focus has shifted to whether there was an unauthorised leak, and who is responsible, even as the political sparring shows no sign of easing.
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