nwaanambra1:



[size=14pt]oga op and shameless daily trust newspapers that cant do a simple research!


please stop displaying your lack of knowledge of the literally world to the universe!

there is what is called adaptations in literature!


ola rotimi's "the gods are not blame" is an adaptation of the Greek classic "Oedipus Rex" rotimi did not made any reference or appreciation of the work in the novel he wrote because he translated it from Greek to English language therefore he has all copy rights to the English version!


same way Cyprian owns all copy rights to the English translation of the hausa version of the African night entertainment.

thank me for lecture.

for those already insulting igbos, big shame on you![/size]

That's a bloody lie! If you 'adapt' someone's work the least you could do is to state it clear that you 'adapted' from so so and so. At least it should be acknowledged in preface, forward or reviews.
Go and check the stand of the law on translation plagiarism.

kings009:
Is the writer spurred by justice or tribalism? Before a book can be published, it goes through a lot of screening and believe me, it is almost impossible to directly copy one's work that as you opined had won an award without due consultations and settlement. You think you know more about plagiarism than the author in Hausa? If you want to truly help, you should have inquired from the publisher of the Hausa version and from the author. You dont know the understanding they had that kept him quiet. Make proper findings before trowing stones from US.

It's the understanding that they had that we as the readers want to know, and I guess they both owe us that. What is the shame in acknowledging you translated a book? that in itself is commendable.
Chinua Achebe refused to allow 50cent use his book title as the former's movie title even at a price of $1million! There's pride in literature, something invaluable.

Paretomaster:
no wonder, the whole setting and names in the African Night Entertainment is completely Hausa, Cyprian...didnt even bother to change anything....

anyway no be today E start....have been seeing traces of MAGANA...JARI CE in some famous works too...

Really please can you share who does that to my favorite book of all time?

This is a lesson to all young aspiring writers out there-protect your copyright. Do not because you want to be a writer at all cost,endanger the copyright of your intellectual property.

The case of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee over who created the fictional Marvel comic super hero Captain America springs to mind.
Kirby was the artist who created the Captain America super hero and took the art work to his publisher Stan Lee who diddled a few extra ideas on the art work and published the comics of Captain America as a joint creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Years later Kirby was to die in penury. Suddenly all the big film studios were doing super hero films and the Captain America franchise was raking in money. Stan Lee who was still alive and had little to do with the creation of the comic strip is raking in millions of dollars for being smarter than Kirby and making himself a co creator.

obailala:
@Op..
I totally doubt a renown and respectable writer like Cyprain Ekwensi would just pick-up and copy a book 100% without some form of acknowledgement or proper agreement with the original author. Besides if Cyprain plagiarised the book, we wouldn't be hearing about this case for the first time in 2016, a dispute would have been raised decades ago.

Thank you sir!
It's same way some people question a five star army General had a secondary school certificate. It's highly unlikely and doubtful, but not impossible.
The book did not carry any trace of reference to Joh Tafida Umaru, nor did further reviews about the book.
What we are asking is.
1. If he had obtained permission to translate and sell the book the least he'd do was to acknowledge the original authors..
2. Not doing that at all amounts to plagiarism, or at least makes it appear to the world so. That is assuming he had the permission and kept it a secrect.

fujirice:



Don't be narrow minded.
Just because OP alleged something(without proof) and the setting of the book is in Hausa made the allegation true.
Before you jump into conclusion, at least try and find out more about the author and his works.
The passport of Mallam Ilia is set in Hausa land too

Oga what more proof do you need? Both books are available in the market. Get them and compare. The fact that they were written 33years apart shall tell you who plagiarized who.
BTW the debate is not whether he copied, it's whether he obtained permission or not. Which we can't find any evidence that he did, even if he did, it's mandatory he acknowledge the original author even on the cover page.

Angelsss:
am guessing you really believed Mr Ekwensi did this based on the part of Nigeria he comes from...
because he is IBO...you are strongly convinced such a writer would do that...
but you don't know that for a fact...
you weren't there when the book was published...
so you don't know the circumstances surrounding it...
what if he took permission before? that's if he actually did this...
and why are just hearing it after so many years?
Stop this! stereotyping ain't healthy...
We should all support one another instead of trying to divide this country with malicious lies...

Nobody is talking about his tribe here Madam. I didn't even know he was Igbo till I started researching about him.

EazyMoh:

Really please can you share who does that to my favorite book of all time?

in fairness, the author of "magana jari ce", Abubakar Imam, derived most of his stories from an arabic book(whose author is unknown) called "Alfu Laila wa Laila". But Abubakar Imam was magnanimous enough to state it in many instances throughout the book.

adexsimply:

No ma'am. You can't just decide to translate Shakespeare's works without obtaining permission from the legal body(s) handling his affairs and without referencing him in your works. That's intellectual theft. The bolded statement is very very wrong, "even if permission was not obtained"? Then it is plagiarism, simple.

Nope, Shakespeare's work is now in the public domain so I can get away with it. In this instance it actually depends on when the original author wrote that piece and when Cyprain translated it.

babadee1:


You can decide to make money off Shakespeare's works in English too as there is no outstanding copyright on Shakespeare. However, it is illegal to translate an author's work into another language without permission.

Yes it's kind of wrong if I was not assigned rights but I will still have copyright in my translated work.

nonjebose:
. Exactly my take. The OP has not been able to clarify that there was no understanding between the writer of Jilki Magayi and CE. Another issue is, was CE's work verbatim translation of the original work or having a similar plot and characterisation? Some of these old works are told as folklores without any reference to the author or copyright. CE grew up in Minna, may have heard the story, wrote an adaptation years later without any immediate challenge.

It was verbatim! 100% In fact some words he couldn't translate he left them in their Hausa form.

Okudiover:
Most of the commentators here do not even know what copyright infringement is how much more heard about the term"Plagiarism". It is an act of intellectual dishonesty where one reproducesreproduces another author's work in whole or in part without the express permission of the author and without acknowledging the original author in anyway. I have heard of this case before when Ekwensi was still alive. It would be very sad to the literary world.

Please can you give more info about what you heard that time?

Nickydrake:


These comparisons are misleading. Copyright does not exist in perpetuity. Typically, it lasts for the duration of the author's life and about twenty-five years after his death.

This is the only reason CoCoLav would not need Shakespeare's permission if she were inclined to translate Hamlet into Yoruba, or any other language. It is for the same reason that Ola Rotimi did nothing wrong in his adaptation of Oedipus Rex, since Sophocles died in 406 BC, long before the idea of copyright was even conceived. For an apt comparison, we would have to consider the publication date of Ekwensi's book as well as the duration of the copyright in the original Hausa work, factoring copyright laws extant at the time.

I am a great admirer of Ekwensi and have always thought that perhaps he deserved a little more recognition than he ever got, but this allegation is a serious one. It astounds me that the majority of contributors to this thread have chosen to condemn the investigative effort of the OP (or whoever first made the connection) instead of asking questions of their own and seeking an explanation.

Statements like, 'Why are you crying more than the bereaved' and 'He must have obtained permission,' -- the latter being nothing but bizarre authoritative conjecture -- reflect the pitiful attitude of Nigerians towards reasonable enquiry and mental exertion. This in turn explains our present social, economic and political predicament.

Thank you sir. Some are even insinuating that I created the thread just to tarnish his igbo image. That's an insult to knowledge and rule of law.

murtalaa:
in fairness, the author of "magana jari ce", Abubakar Imam, derived most of his stories from an arabic book(whose author is unknown) called "Alfu Laila wa Laila". But Abubakar Imam was magnanimous enough to state it in many instances throughout the book.

OK Thanks I was aware of Alfu -Laila.

[quote author=adaweezy post=47587858][/quote]

Educate yourself on copyright laws. You don't need the permission of Shakespeare estate. Copyright has a fixed term, the maximum is 70 years after the author's death.

Redoil:
in what year and which school did you attended

FGC Enugu.
2001.

EazyMoh:

Oga what more proof do you need? Both books are available in the market. Get them and compare. The fact that they were written 33years apart shall tell you who plagiarized who.
BTW the debate is not whether he copied, it's whether he obtained permission or not. Which we can't find any evidence that he did, even if he did, it's mandatory he acknowledge the original author even on the cover page.

Lol!
I am not the one making the accusations or believing the accusations.
It's obvious you have concluded in your mind that he plagiarized with the way you are sounding.
So it's up to you to prove it.
Okpari!

EazyMoh:

OK Thanks I was aware of Alfu -Laila.

why then would you be interested in who lifted from Magana jari ce since it could be argued that it was lifted from alfu Laila (which is not copyrighted) not magana jari ce.

murtalaa:
why then would you be interested in who lifted from Magana jari ce since it could be argued that it was lifted from alfu Laila (which is not copyrighted) not magana jari ce.

Your right, it could be no harm done if both lift from alfu Laila or any other uncopyrighted material. But I guess the first person to copyright it owns it, no matter the original source. I stand to be corrected though. Check my post on the page 0. I have updated a vital information. thanks.

EazyMoh:

That's a bloody lie! If you 'adapt' someone's work the least you could do is to state it clear that you 'adapted' from so so and so. At least it should be acknowledged in preface, forward or reviews.
Go and check the stand of the law on translation plagiarism.

I don't know why some find this difficult to grasp. If anyone types "in the forest of olodumare" on Google, the prominent author name is D.O Fagunwa, despite the fact that it was translated by Wole Soyinka. Soyinka referenced and acknowledged his source which Cyprian failed to do, yet they're screaming trash.

murtalaa:
why then would you be interested in who lifted from Magana jari ce since it could be argued that it was lifted from alfu Laila (which is not copyrighted) not magana jari ce.

Now I am confused, the Op said CE might have copied 'Jiki Magayi' not 'Magana Jari ce'. Why are you talking about Magana Jari ce?

adexsimply:
I don't know why some find this difficult to grasp. If anyone types "in the forest of olodumare" on Google, the prominent author name is D.O Fagunwa, despite the fact that it was translated by Wole Soyinka. Soyinka referenced and acknowledged his source which Cyprian failed to do, yet they're screaming trash.

Thank you.

Cetona:

Now I am confused, the Op said CE might have copied 'Jiki Magayi' not 'Magana Jari ce'. Why are you talking about Magana Jari ce?

Sorry dear we drailled a little. Magana Jari ce is another topic, CE has nothing to do with it. BTW did you know that CE was actually sued back then in the 60s about this same topic? check my updated post on page 0.

ideykwum:


Well, your argument is sound, and I won't pretend to be a copyright expert. I'm just a prolific reader with a general knowledge of issues. However, your own quote " Copyright does not exist in perpetuity. Typically, it lasts for the duration of the author's life and about twenty-five years after his death." actually cuts Ekwensi some slack.

If you agree that the "original" was written when Ekwensi was 12, and he wrote his "version" more than a decade afterwards, and it was not self-published, then the argument should be about the copyright laws existing in that dispensation and the integrity/ due diligence of the publishing outfit. Like you, I would rather Ekwensi is not besmirched by this allegation, but its important to provide a balance to the allegation (that's what it is at the moment ) to prevent a trial by public opinion that Nigerians are unfortunately fond of.

I'm not from Ekwensi's neck-of-the-woods, but the pull-him-down syndrome in Nigeria beggars belief!! Let these allegations be examined properly, disregarding the malice of the author (he could have followed the path of honor and responsibility by writing to the appropriate bodies without escalating it to the public via a regional paper like the DialyTrust) and ensuring that true justice is done.

For those defending Ekwensi without any concrete basis, you can forgive them bearing in mind that the country is currently very polarized along tribal and regional lines. That's one of the reasons I find the author's timing of the article and choice of words very provocative. We must seek to build not destroy...

Thank you for giving a level-headed response.

I agree that the author of that article had no reason to assert plagiarism as strongly as he did, especially as he does not appear to have taken too much trouble to verify his suspicion. His conclusion that no permission was given was based on the absence of any acknowledgement in the preface or foreword of Ekwensi's book. This is rather shallow. Indeed much of the article is composed of unscholarly diatribe, which is condemnable and may justify those who perceive the accusation as the bitter fruit of ethnic bigotry.

Nevertheless, I think that the literary scene is quite different from the political theatre, in that an author (or his memory, as in this case) is not likely to be injured by mistaken allegations of plagiarism, especially if those allegations are successfully refuted.

Whatever the motivations of the writer and despite the crassness of his approach, I think that the allegations made are sufficient to merit an enquiry and explanation. Jiki Magayi may have been written in 1933 when Ekwensi was only twelve, but it wasn't until 1955 that it was published. An African Night's Entertainment was published a mere seven years later, so the copyright in the older work was still sitting pretty. This means that it was necessary to obtain permission from the holder of copyright before executing a translation. Was this done or was it not? This is a question of fact. Cyprian Ekwensi may not have much to say about this at present, given that he is, you know, dead; but the publishers of An African Night's Entertainment are in a position to provide much-needed answers, whether in the court of public opinion or the one of law.

Finally, I think that questioning the originality of a work in good faith is in fact an effort at building the literary culture of the nation, even if the reputation of the person being questioned suffers, which, at any rate, will only happen in the event that he is guilty.

EazyMoh:

Thank you sir. Some are even insinuating that I created the thread just to tarnish his igbo image. That's an insult to knowledge and rule of law.

I have read your modified post. Very interesting information. I suppose we'll see how it plays out.

Nickydrake:


Thank you for giving a level-headed response.

I agree that the author of that article had no reason to assert plagiarism as strongly as he did, especially as he does not appear to have taken too much trouble to verify his suspicion. His conclusion that no permission was given was based on the absence of any acknowledgement in the preface or foreword of Ekwensi's book. This is rather shallow. Indeed much of the article is composed of unscholarly diatribe, which is condemnable and may justify those who perceive the accusation as the bitter fruit of ethnic bigotry.

Nevertheless, I think that the literary scene is quite different from the political theatre, in that an author (or his memory, as in this case) is not likely to be injured by mistaken allegations of plagiarism, especially if those allegations are successfully refuted.

Whatever the motivations of the writer and despite the crassness of his approach, I think that the allegations made are sufficient to merit an enquiry and explanation. Jiki Magayi may have been written in 1933 when Ekwensi was only twelve, but it wasn't until 1955 that it was published. An African Night's Entertainment was published a mere seven years later, so the copyright in the older work was still sitting pretty. This means that it was necessary to obtain permission from the holder of copyright before executing a translation. Was this done or was it not? This is a question of fact. Cyprian Ekwensi may not have much to say about this at present, given that he is, you know, dead; but the publishers of An African Night's Entertainment are in a position to provide much-needed answers, whether in the court of public opinion or the one of law.

Finally, I think that questioning the originality of a work in good faith is in fact an effort at building the literary culture of the nation, even if the reputation of the person being questioned suffers, which, at any rate, will only happen in the event that he is guilty.

after faithfully going through the entire comments you sir, are the first to give a constructive and intelligent criticism o the write up. I am getting sick and tired of people playing the tribe and ethnicity card.

Call lizbenpet to order for knuckles knockout oil to clear ur heavy or light knuckles away in a few days.. 08063244764 or whatsapp me

EazyMoh:

Madam please what's the meaning of this?*Modified
I have sent an email inquiry about the issue to the original writer of the article Ibrahim Musa and the publishers of the two versions.
It's sad we don't have any Avenue to either independently investigate or an authority that can do that.
But I Assure you I would never see a wrong doing and do nothing about it.
Thanks to those who have read the two versions and have confirmed their undoubted similarity.
Also those optimistic Ekwensi might obtain some covert license to translate the book without acknowledging the original writer, I will try to find that out too.
***REMODIFIED
I received two emails moments ago from the initial investigator of the case Dr. Ibrahim Musa this is what the mail read. " From the little I could glean from my sources, the then northern Nigeria regional government actually sued Ekwensi for plagiarism. Unfortunately, civil war broke when the case was incubating and everything halted as a result. By the time the war was over, there was no more regional governments. The system became unitary with emergence of states. Thus, nobody was interested in revisiting that 'inconsequential' issue. Justice Mamman Nasir can shed light on this."
Cc emonkey nwaanambra1 sparkle777 shizzle111 Angelsss nonjebose zaboy gaddafithe2nd Ishilove redoil phi001 fujirice Okudiover Nickydrake ihuomadinihu kindness4life adexsimply ideykwum ......
Thank you all for making the thread lively. I guess the above information should have been the first on this thread which would have made things clear in the onset. Nevertheless, I believe we all learn something new today.
We have resolved to do our best to reopen the case and pursue it to a logical conclusion. I am directed to contact Justice Mamman Nasir for further information and guidance about the case. It baffles how and why they allow the issue to rest over all these years.

well your people dropped the case after feeling that the millions of igbos killed in the civil war is enough recompense for Cyprians copy right infringement.

the speed northers use to attack any issues relating to north is so amazing!

if only you guys can also use the same speed to sort various issues bedeviling Nigeria - after all, you guys own Nigeria stock, lock and barrel!

EazyMoh:

Am not aware of other books. Understand me am not trying to pull him down, I believe he was a great writer, even the translation aspect of it is genius, but it's downright fraud without acknowledging the original authors.

I do get u, but I need to know if this issue applies to his other Hausa novels.ie Passport of Mallam Ilia, Burning Grass, Anthills of the Savannah etc.
If this was an isolated case then I ll sleep well. I just dont want my image of Cyprian Ekwensi to be dented.

Sparkle777:


I do get u, but I need to know if this issue applies to his other Hausa novels.ie Passport of Mallam Ilia, Burning Grass, Anthills of the Savannah etc.
If this was an isolated case then I ll sleep well. I just dont want my image of Cyprian Ekwensi to be dented.

Lol as far as I know this is the only case. I suspect he had a good intention when he translated it, but might have been convinced to ignore the original writer by the publishers since he was a nobody.
Have a good day.

Angelsss:


I feel so too ...he sounds so confident...
soon he would probably mention Achebe

lol....his confidence is from his expectation of fellow anti-igbo to swamp on the thread to bash igbo.

Don't forget that any news where the heading/topic hase Igbo name or SE, sells like akara oku

EazyMoh:

Lol as far as I know this is the only case. I suspect he had a good intention when he translated it, but might have been convinced to ignore the original writer by the publishers since he was a nobody.
Have a good day.

Thanks a lot, u ve been very patient and kind about this issue.