Uzbek Ministry of Justice Fines University Employee for Unauthorized Distribution of Abdullah Qodiriy Novel Translation

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Ministry of Justice’s Intellectual Property Department has sanctioned an employee of the Uzbekistan State University of World Languages for illegally distributing the English translation of Abdullah Qodiriy’s novel O‘tkan Kunlar (Bygone Days), local officials said Tuesday.

The investigation found that the university employee scanned a copy of the book, gifted by American translator Mark Rizz, and uploaded it to the website unilibrary.uz without the author’s consent or a formal agreement, according to the ministry.

A report was filed under Article 177-1 of Uzbekistan’s Administrative Liability Code, which covers violations of copyright and related rights. The court fined the individual 5 base calculation units, equivalent to 2.06 million soums, the minimum penalty under the law, and ordered the removal of the electronic copy from the website.

Following the case, the university held a seminar on copyright compliance. The ministry noted that translators may claim damages ranging from 20 to 1,000 base calculation units, equivalent to 8.24 million to 412 million soums.

In a statement, Rizz described the unauthorized publication as theft of intellectual property and said such incidents undermine confidence in Uzbekistan’s ability to protect copyright as a trade partner.