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of the copyright and creative industries. It may be small, but it’s definitely expanding. In terms of books however, it still remains to be seen.It used to be that the copyright trade for books only flowed one way, which was English-to-Malay translations predominantly for education and reference books. Once the demand for reading materials and consumer con- sumption shifted and evolved, book translations from languages other than English have seen an increase. The local publishing industry has also been aggressive in producing tailor-made reading materials to suit the locals in terms of cultural nuances and local context.In order for Malaysia to compete with international content, we must provide something unique and truly Malaysian.What are the main challenges in the local industry?The Malaysian market is shallow, and the way for expansion is by going abroad. Malaysia being a multi- ethnic and multilingual country leaves our book market porous to imported books. Our book industry players will have to compete with already established book publishers from abroad.Malaysian publishers and authors must come up with new ways to get their content into the market and hearts of the readers. In a digital age where almost everyone has a smartphone and an internet connection, publishers must change their mentality and shift their business models by finding the sweet spot between conventional and digital publishing.Hasri Hasan, senior manager in the intellectual property department, regarding international licensing:What is international licensing?This is the opportunity for content owners to license their intellect property, whether it is a book, manuscript,illustrations and such. There are huge opportunities for authors and content creators to increase rights potential and collect royalties from different types of licensing.Licensing also covers different formats of content such as television shows and film, media rights, permissions, and more.How does Kota Buku fit into this?We attend major international book fairs and promote Malaysian content that has the potential to be licensed. The biggest event solely focusing on licensing is the KLTCC. A few of the big publishers are aware of the opportunities available abroad, and some have dedicated managers to manage their rights and exploits overseas. Kota Buku is working with relevant agencies to spur new cross- converging opportunities between print and digital media.What are Malaysia’s strengths?Malaysia has been the champion in a few topics, gaining international recognition in specialized areas such as Islamic banking and finance, halal, Muslim pilgrimage management, commodity exports such as palm oil and natural rubber, rich biodiversity, and a unique socio- cultural population. These categories are the best bet for Malaysian content owners to build up good licensing cas-Elite+ 19