Unofficial Harry Potter translations a new craze

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After news from Germany and Russia about unofficial online translations of J.K Rowlings latest Harry Potter book, similar trends have been reported from China and Turkey.

While translators at People's Literature Publishing House are still busy working to make Harry Potter's latest adventure to hit Chinese bookshelves in early October, over-enthusiastic fans have started publishing their own translations on-line to help their peers who are eager to read the book, but struggle with English.

Translations of first dozen chapters of the book have already appeared on web-logs or Harry Potter fan websites. Most of the translations have earned applause from Netizens. Neil Blair, the lawyer for author J. K. Rowling, confirmed in an e-mail that non-commercial fan fictions including online translations are permitted, xinhuanet.com writes.

Pirated copies of the latest Potter book have already shown up at several streetside stalls, where they sell for 20 yuan (US$ 2.47) to 40 yuan. Last week, two links to a complete English version of the book were found on Blogchina.com, an online diary Website. Rowling's lawyers have sent a notice to the Website, asking it to delete the links.

Elsewhere in the muggles world publishers are more furious about tampering fans: The Turkish publisher of the Harry Potter series of books has threatened legal action against those involved in unofficial Turkish translations of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" which recently showed up on the internet.

Yapi Kredi Publications even placed advertisements in Turkish newspapers to inform fans of such translations' illegal character and that they will take necessary measures to stop websites from carrying them.

The official Turkish version of the latest book in the series will not be released before October.

So far no unofficial Spanish translations have been reported, although they may exist already, considering that fans may not want to wait until next year for the Spanish version to be released.

"The Spanish publisher (Salamandra Editorial, based in Barcelona) is just getting started and told us that the translation will probably be ready in the spring of 2006," says Marjorie Samper, product manager of Lectorum Publications, a Spanish-language book distributor in a MSNBC report.

sources: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-07/29/content_3282666.htm, http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8715774/, http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=9989