Copyright Agreement

As a serving one in the literature service, there was a need for me to get a copyright agreement between our main publisher LSM, and all our translators sign the copyright agreement. The matter was first brought up many years ago when brother Robin Fenwick was still alive and serving in India. The work was initiated but was never executed. Last year, in one of the literature fellowships, it was brought to notice the need for carrying out this exercise. 

I took that as a challenge and an opportunity to learn how to do things properly especially in legal matters. I started looking at the draft that was given to me. I did research online on copyright laws of India and a few other intellectual property laws with the many rights that exist in the publication work. Then, I came up with a draft and presented it to the brothers. LSM then consulted their intellectual property lawyers and gave me a go-ahead in this regard. 

First, I created an online data entry form for all the serving ones to fill online. Then, I sent a mail to all the translators for signing the copyright form. Meanwhile, I consulted two lawyers and personally went to the court to find out the practical detail of making the copyright agreement legally valid. 

The first batch of signed copyright agreements came in. Then, I need to follow up with many others who did not respond on time. I personally checked the documents one by one, page by page, and made sure that things were done properly. Then I realized that the Bible translators need to sign an agreement on their Bible translation work. The entire process was redone again for the New Testament Bible translation team. 

Still, there were some who did not read the email properly or who did not follow the instruction given to them in signing this copyright agreement. Those were identified, and I had to contact them and asked them to do their works properly. I ended up visiting the court here in Gurugram four times until all the copyright agreements were signed, stamped, and notarized. 

Then these documents have to be cross-checked one by one, page by page again, then scanned, and checked again, and finally organized properly and submitted to LSM. 

During this process of four months, a few important points were followed strictly:

Do it right. Do not take a shortcut. The longest and difficult ways are often not the easy way, but it's always worth the price in the end. 

Be faithful and diligent in all the works assigned to you or to your responsibilities. In minute and material matters, one's faithfulness and quality of work is tested.

Pray and look to the Lord for all things, and experience His grace all the way long.

I had a sense of joy and satisfaction after the fifty translators have signed their copyright agreement. In the process, I learned my spiritual lessons, and officially my responsibilities have also been carried out in the best possible way.  It was on 3rd March 2021 that the final scanned PDF copies were sent to LSM. And the reply I received from the brothers reminds me of the word in Matthew 25:21, 23. 

His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.