Monde Arabe : Maroc

MarocInstitutions

Administrations dédiées au livre

  • Éditeur d'Etat
    The Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication – Department of Culture.

    Fondation d'Etat Fonction : Soutenir les politiques du livre et de la lecture
    Remarques

    There are also state institutions that publish books:

    See the Al Saoud Foundation’s 2022-2023 report, which lists public institutions that have published more than 12 titles (pages 24-25):

    • Policy Center for the New South (formerly the Policy Center of OCP, a non-profit association half-owned by Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Benguerir, a quarter by the OCP Foundation, and the rest by the OCP Group).
    • Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture
    • Mohammed VI League of Scholars
    • Economic, Social, and Environmental Council
    • High Commission for Former Resistance Fighters and Members of the Liberation Army
    • Boub – Moroccan Journal of Local Administration and Development
    • Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Agadir
    • Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Rabat
    • Ibn Khaldun Center for Migration and Citizenship Studies (Ifrane)
    • Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Ben M’sik, Casablanca
    • Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Oujda
    • Bank Al-Maghrib
    • Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs

    Previous reports have also listed the following public publishing bodies:

    • Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad
    • National Human Rights Council
    • High Commission for Planning
    • Ministry of Economy and Finance

    See the Al Saoud Foundation’s 2018-2019 report, which recorded 149 titles and 50 journals published by the 15 public universities (p. 23). The most active were:

    • Mohammed V University (Rabat-Salé): 39 titles and 8 journals
    • Agadir University: 27 books and 3 journals
    • Casablanca University: 20 titles and 7 journals

    The 2022-2023 report recorded 127 publications, with:

    • Hassan II University (Casablanca-Mohammedia): 28 publications
    • Ibn Zohr University (Agadir): 26 publications
    • Mohammed V University (Rabat): 24 publications (p. 27).

  • Direction en charge du Livre
    Directorate of Books, Public Libraries, and Archives

    Fondation d'Etat Fonction : Porter une politique du livre et de la lecture

    It has 12 regional branches.

  • Institution publique dédiée au livre et à la lecture
    The National Library of Morocco

    Fondation d'Etat Fonction : Porter une politique du livre et de la lecture

  • Direction en charge du Livre
    The Moroccan Archives Institution

    Fondation d'Etat Fonction : Porter une politique du livre et de la lecture

  • Ministère en charge de la Culture
    Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication

    Fondation d'Etat Fonction : Soutenir les politiques du livre et de la lecture

  • Sociétés de gestion du droit d’auteur
    Moroccan Office for Copyright and Neighboring Rights

    Fondation d'Etat Fonction : Protection des oeuvres littéraires et artistiques

    The Moroccan Office for Copyright and Neighboring Rights ( BMDA ) was established by Decree No. 2.64.406 on March 8, 1965 (5 Dhu al-Qi’dah 1384) and was reformed by Law No. 19-25 on August 11, 2022.

    Remarques

    It does nothing in practice. The BMDA operates under the Ministry of Media and Communication, which has historically been responsible for censorship. Attempts to reform it remain controversial.

    In reality, almost no writers are registered with the Book Industry Development Authority in Morocco. The BMDA functions only on behalf of its members, making it more of a regulatory body than a supportive structure for authors.

    The latest reform mandates that representatives of professional associations be members of its board. However, the lack of a structured professional association genuinely representing the public interest of the profession raises concerns about the effectiveness of this arrangement.

  • Institution publique dédiée au livre et à la lecture
    The Public Reading Department – within the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication.

    Fondation d'Etat Fonction : Soutenir les politiques du livre et de la lecture

    The Public Reading Department within the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication oversees the following divisions:

    • Library Management Division
    • Manuscripts and Heritage Libraries Division
    • Programming and Artistic Interventions Division

    The department’s public libraries page includes 108 libraries and media libraries, as well as a central catalog for the institutions in the network.

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Associations professionnelles

  • Associations de libraires
    The Casablanca Grand Booksellers Association

    Institution publique Fonction : Regrouper les professionnels de la librairie

  • Associations de libraires
    The Regional Booksellers Association of Rabat

    Institution publique Fonction : Regrouper les professionnels de la librairie

  • Associations de libraires
    The Independent Libraries Association of Morocco

    Institution publique Fonction : Regrouper les professionnels de la librairie

  • Associations interprofessionnelles
    The Moroccan Association for the Book Profession

    Institution publique Fonction : Regrouper les professionnels du livre

  • Associations d’autrices et d’auteurs
    The Moroccan Writers Union

    Institution publique Fonction : Regrouper les professionnels de l'écrit

  • Associations d’autrices et d’auteurs
    The Moroccan Association of Women Writers

    Institution publique Fonction : Regrouper les professionnels de l'écrit

  • Associations d’autrices et d’auteurs
    House of Poetry

    Institution publique Fonction : Regrouper les professionnels de l'écrit

  • Associations d’autrices et d’auteurs
    Tirra – The Amazigh Writers' Association

    Institution publique Fonction : Regrouper les professionnels de l'écrit

  • Associations d’éditrices et d’éditeurs
    The Professional Publishers Union in Morocco

    Institution publique Fonction : Regrouper les professionnels de l'édition

    Member of the Arab Publishers Union and the International Publishers Association (IPA)

    Remarques

    There is also an informal, unorganized group, not established as an association, which is a gathering of young publishing houses in Morocco.

  • Associations de bibliothécaires
    The National Association for Informatics (ANI)

    Institution publique Fonction : Regrouper les professionnels de la librairie

    It includes librarians, document managers, and archivists.

  • Autres
    Association for the Support of Rural Libraries

    Institution publique

  • Opinions des professionnel·le·s

    The professional unions sector is characterized by a large number of structures and their inefficiency. The Professional Union of Moroccan Writers is struggling to get back on its feet after the death of its president in 2023.

    There were once important organizations, but they no longer exist or are no longer active, such as the Moroccan Association of Professional Writers (AMPL) and the Association for the Promotion of Publishing, Books, and Reading (APELL).

    The Moroccan Association of Journalists, Printing, and Publishing Professionals is the only dynamic organization that enjoys internal democracy. The other associations are ineffective, non-transparent, and only represent the interests of their leaders, if they are not completely inactive. They have no impact on defending the profession.

    International associations such as the International Alliance of Independent Writers and the International Association of French-Speaking Librarians have members in Morocco.

    The Moroccan Publishers’ Union refers to the National Union of Publishers in Morocco (National Union of Book Publishers) and the National Organization of Librarians (National Organization of Writers), about which I have never heard and could not find any information.

    The professional unions only represent the interests of their leaders. Therefore, consulting them does not guarantee the inclusion of the profession at all.

    Recently, a number of representatives from new publishing houses met informally to unite their efforts in bringing their catalogs to the Moroccan Book Fair, a project run by the Independent Publishers Association of Morocco, and to support each other in participating in book fairs (such as the Nancy Book Fair, Nancy Fair, Brussels Book Fair, etc.). Additionally, a « white card » initiative has been organized for the International Publishing and Book Fair in Rabat in May 2024, allowing publishers who do not have a booth at the fair to present their titles and meet with their readers. An interesting synergy is being created with the Independent Libraries Association of Morocco.

    This initiative is taking an informal approach to avoid the deadlock situations seen in various professional associations that compete with each other and fail to benefit the profession.

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Observatoire

  • Observatoire et enquête
    King Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation

    Enquête Fonction : Recenser

    Since 2015, the Al Saoud Foundation has been publishing an annual report on publishing and books in literature, humanities, and social sciences in all paper and digital languages in Morocco. You can find more information about this report on their official website.

    http://www.fondation.org.ma/web/article/191

    The National Library of Morocco also has a bibliographic agency that publishes the Index of Morocco. For more details, you can visit their official page.
    http://www.bnrm.ma/bnrm/fr/agence-bibliographique/presentation.html

    Remarques

    Researchers and specialists have conducted several surveys at different times to document the book and reading sector. Some references on this subject include:

    • Hassan Al-Wazani, The Book and Public Reading Sector in Morocco: The State of Books and Their Prospects (Ministry of Culture Publications, 2006). He is also the author of numerous books and articles on bibliometric measurement and social bibliometric measurement (all references are available on the Al Saoud Foundation website).
      I assume these are the works referred to by the Moroccan Publishers Union when mentioning the Directorate of Books in their list, as Hassan Al-Wazani was the director of this office from 2008 to 2019.

    • A survey conducted by Roots Association for Cultural Development in Morocco and Africa in November 2014 on books, publishing, and public reading in Morocco (by Kenza Sefrioui) in the first edition of the first publication of the Public Culture Editions, available online via the following link:

    • The French Institute commissioned Catherine Lollier to conduct a study on the book sector in Morocco in 2021 (which has not been published).

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Formations universitaires dédiées au livre

  • Formation professionelle

    Université Fonction : Formation professionnelle

     

    • The « Book Series » program at the Faculty of French Literature, Hassan II University, Casablanca – Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Ain Chock.

    • Specialized Writing and Book Professions program at Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdullah University , Fez – Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Dhar El-Mahraz (the only course in Arabic, training librarians, archivists, and printing professionals).

    • Information Science School : The Master’s degree in Information Management , offering training in the fields of libraries and documentation .

     

     

  • Opinions des professionnel·le·s

    There was a comprehensive reform of education in this field. Several programs have disappeared. For example, the specialized Master’s degree in Book Trade at Mohammed V University in Agdal – Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Department of Communication and Book Trade in Rabat, which used to train booksellers, is no longer offered.

    The « Book Trade » professional degree in Casablanca, established in 2007, raised many hopes but was reduced in 2020 to the « Book Series » option within the French literature degree due to a lack of interested candidates. The program offered specialized training, theoretical both (basic knowledge of the field) and practical (acquiring and mastering professional practices). Students were selected based on their academic record after a core curriculum ranging from two to four semesters of undergraduate study. The goal was to train competent professionals capable of keeping up with the latest developments in the book industry and contributing to its revitalization and development. After two years of training (four semesters), graduates were highly skilled but found it difficult to secure adequately paid jobs in libraries (with no recognition of the librarian profession) or bookstores. Many of them left the book profession to work in communications.

    In 1994-1995, the Faculty of Arts in Rabat introduced an applied certificate in Written Word Sciences and Techniques (ie, training in book trade), which was available after completing a Bachelor’s degree at the Faculty of Arts in Rabat and lasted for two years. It offered two tracks: publishing assistant and bookseller. A PhD in books in the contemporary world was also offered at the same university, though it was more oriented toward communication. However, faculty members are not considered highly credible by professionals, who do not hire students for work positions.

    As for the Faculty of Information Sciences, it used to offer four courses: library and documentation science; archiving and records management; information systems management; and strategic intelligence, to train librarians and document managers, especially in administration rather than library and media center management. The courses have been fully restructured to focus on digital technology.

    Note: Regarding book production and publishing, marketing, distribution, and libraries, the Moroccan Publishers Union mentions that these courses are funded by the private sector, without providing any details. It also mentions that training in general reading, preservation, and libraries is provided by the public sector.

     

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MarocPolitiques publiques

Régulation du marché

  • Régulation du commerce numérique

    Loi Fonction : Réguler

    nothing related to books.

    • Law 08-09 on the protection of individuals,
    • Law 12-103, issued on December 24, 2014, concerning credit institutions and similar entities, taking into account payment institutions (excluding banks) and services (2011).
    • Consumer Protection – Chapter II
    • Law 95-15, the Commercial Law of 1996
    • Law 05-53, dated November 30, 2007, on electronic data exchange (including electronic signatures).

  • Régulation de la libre concurrence

    There are no laws guaranteeing free competition in books.

    From 104-12 to 30 from 2014 to 2014, books or media.

    In practice, due to the high cost of legal proceedings, anti-competitive practices in the book sector are not prosecuted

  • Tarifs spéciaux d’expédition

    Règlement Fonction : Porter une politique culturelle

    Books, booklets, and periodicals have a fixed shipping price

  • Mécanismes de fixation des prix

    It is necessary to specifically determine whether these measures are actually implemented or not: Law 31-08 on consumer protection dedicates Chapter IV to clearance sales, particularly the need to set prices clearly.

  • Opinions des professionnel·le·s

    • The publishing scene in Morocco is not characterized by a high degree of centralization.

      Hachette Livre is the only one that has a fully owned subsidiary, at National Library. There is a significant respect for the book chain. There are few large structures that integrate the entire chain, such as the Lebanese Huballah family, which owns the headquarters bookstore in Agadir, and the publishing house ‘Africa-Mashreq’ along with a printing house. Similarly, the Ratanani family owns two publishing houses: ‘La Croix du Sud’ and ‘Source du Livre’, in addition to the Carrefour du Livre bookstore. However, the largest structures are linked to the school sector, and very few benefit public publications.

      Most of the scene is characterized by the small size and fragility of the structures. The lack of unification of their efforts is striking.

      The percentage of imported books among the total books available in libraries is enormous, with 90% of the national book stock (a maximum of 4,000 titles per year). The Moroccan Publishers Union responds with a figure of 70%.

      The percentage of national publishing (with local capital) that obtains public contracts for libraries: public contracts are open only to local suppliers. When university libraries request imported books, they go through local structures that have exclusive agreements with foreign publishers.

      The percentage of multinational or foreign groups that obtain public contracts for public and university libraries involves international tender calls, which entail more complex procedures, as it is necessary to prove the absence of this service in Morocco. In practice, multinational or foreign groups operate through subsidiaries, such as the National Library, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hachette Livre in Morocco, or through local distributors/importers that have exclusive rights (e.g., School Bookstore, Sochepress, etc.). This exclusivity is questioned by a new generation of importers who believe that it constitutes an infringement on free competition and should be classified as such. However, the imbalance in size between large importers who enjoy this « exclusivity » and small book sellers means that the former sometimes threaten the latter with tactics more akin to mafia-like practices than to commercial relationships.

      The following are some of the words: it amounts to Dirham (around 4.13). It is a royal initiative targeting all schools in Morocco, managed by the National Initiative for Human Development, which is a program under the authority of the Ministry of Interior (not the Ministry of Education or Culture).

      Note: The Moroccan Publishers Union understood the question as having a 95% share.

      Public contracts for school books do not come through a clear and transparent tender request. Tenders are not limited to book sellers. In practice, book sellers complain that all types of companies (security companies with inflated bids) obtain contracts that they do not fulfill, depriving book sellers of these contracts.

      The percentage of national publishing (with local capital) that obtains public contracts for protection: 100% safe and secure.

      The percentage of multinational or foreign groups that obtain public contracts for school books: none.

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Achats publics

  • Achats publics de livres scolaires

    Remarques

    Publishers complain about the lack of transparency in public contracts and the unfair competition it causes, as well as distributors who sell directly to schools or libraries, bypassing the book supply chain. However, due to a lack of resources and the state of the legal system, they avoid taking legal action.

    The Association of Independent Booksellers in Morocco is currently lobbying for reforms.

    See the Guide to Integrity in Public Markets in Morocco:
    https://t4.oecd.org/governance/public-procurement/publications/Guide-integrite-dans-marches-publics-Maroc.pdf« 

  • Achats publics

    Programme public Fonction : Soutenir les politiques du livre et de la lecture

    In 2020, the total acquisition budget for public libraries was approximately 6 million dirhams (around €560,000) for a country with a population of 36 million and only about 600 public libraries.

    This budget does not cover only printed books—since there is no digital book market in Morocco—but also all the equipment that libraries need. The usual allocation for this budget in 2020 was redirected towards acquiring existing titles rather than supporting the publication of new ones.

    It is difficult to obtain these figures because acquisitions have not been centralized since 2015. As part of the support framework, 50 copies of subsidized titles were provided to libraries.

    In the past, most of these funds were spent on infrastructure development, including libraries. However, the creation of a public library assistance fund came at the expense of the library development fund.

    The budget allocated for acquisitions (books and other materials) rarely exceeds €100,000 (approximately 1,000,000 dirhams), while the total support fund stands at around €190,000.

    For more details, refer to the 2024 Social Report on Morocco:
    https://www.hcp.ma/.

  • Achats publics pour les bibliothèques

    Programme public Fonction : Soutenir les politiques du livre et de la lecture

    There are financial mechanisms or assistance available for libraries through acquisitions for public libraries.

    Additionally, the Ministry of Culture provided exceptional support to libraries during the COVID crisis.

  • Opinions des professionnel·le·s

    • Public purchases relevant to books in local languages: There are no significant purchases. According to the latest report on publishing and books issued by the Al Saud Foundation, for 2022-2023, there are 2,795 euros for 2022-2023, with 2,795 pieces in English and 15, priced at 1.51%. There is no distribution for these books.

      Books written in Moroccan Arabic have been counted alongside Modern Standard Arabic, which remains the written standard, except for poetic genres such as zajal and other texts.

      The total public purchase budget for public libraries in your country: In 2020, the total acquisition budget for public libraries was approximately 6 million dirhams (about 560,000 euros) for a country with a population of 36 million and about 600 public libraries only. This does not only relate to printed books, as there is no market for digital books in Morocco, but also includes all the equipment needed by the libraries.

      The amount typically allocated for this in 2020 was a transfer of the book support budget to acquire existing titles instead of helping to publish new titles. It is difficult to obtain these figures because acquisitions have not been centralized since 2015.

      In the context of support, 50 copies of supported titles for libraries.

      0.8% of the water temperature is reduced by 0.8% (2018) social indicators of Morocco, 2024: https://www.hcp.ma/. In the past, most of this money was spent on developing infrastructure, including libraries. However, the creation of a public library assistance fund came at the expense of the library development fund.

      190,000 euros, and the budget allocated for acquisitions (from books and other materials) rarely exceeds €100,000 (€9,400).

      The total public purchases budget for university libraries in your country: It is difficult to obtain these figures because, since 2015, acquisitions have no longer been made at the level of each university. However, the annual budgets for each university (there are fifteen universities) have about 250,000 dirhams (approximately 23,000 euros) available for purchases.

      Public book contracts for public and university libraries do not go through a clear and transparent tender request: This sector completely lacks transparency (the same response from the Moroccan Publishers Union). In theory, calls for bids should be published for a total price of 250,000 euros (23,000 euros) or more. But in practice, they are not always published. Professionals complain about pre-agreements that distort results, reaching the point of offering overpriced titles despite appearing on the cover, or even offering astronomical quantities of copies. Despite the protests of professionals denouncing non-compliance with specifications, no legal action has been taken

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Signature des accords internationaux

  • Traité de l’OMPI sur le droit d’auteur

    Accord international Fonction : Protection des oeuvres littéraires et artistiques

    Ratification of the Berne Convention in 1987, with revisions in 2000 and 2006 (from 1 to 21).

  • Convention de Berne

    Accord international Fonction : Protection des oeuvres littéraires et artistiques

    From 1967 to 1971, ratification in 1987 for the revision of the Berne Convention, amended in 2000 and 2006.

  • Accord de Florence

    Accord international Fonction : Libre circulation des biens culturels

    The agreement was signed in 1950, before Morocco had gained its independence! Ratification occurred on July 25, 1968.

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Aides à la lecture publique et à la diffusion du livre

  • Aides à la lecture

    Programme public Fonction : Soutenir les politiques du livre et de la lecture

    « One of the focus areas of the Ministry of Culture’s call for publishing and book projects in 2017 was only 10% of the total budget. The Council’s opinion in 2019 pointed out the need for action, but no measures were taken.
    http://www.cese.ma/media/2020/10/Avis-Promouvoir-la-lecture.pdf« 

  • Aides à la librairie

    Programme public Fonction : Soutenir les politiques du livre et de la lecture

    There are assistance programs for development and modernization through the call for submissions from the Ministry of Culture, conducted at the national level.

    Remarques

    Some booksellers are requesting assistance from the state, believing that its role is regulatory and that it should mandate purchases exclusively from booksellers.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were also aids for small and medium-sized enterprises and consumer protection units, which could also apply to libraries.

    In recent years, the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation has developed cultural cooperation programs, especially with African countries, but books have not yet been included in these programs. This agency, like the Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE), can help facilitate exports (e.g., to Frankfurt).

  • Opinions des professionnel·le·s

    • There are no funds to support libraries. This relates to the establishment and updating of libraries, as well as their promotion. During the pandemic, a special program was provided to support libraries by purchasing books from their shelves. Each book published after 2017 was included. The specifications were not respected, making it impossible to comply. Moreover, libraries’ access to support has diminished because another part of the same support program was directed towards publishers who could sell directly to the ministry.

      (Note: The Moroccan Publishers Union simply responds that it ‘submits draft support requests for libraries to the ministry,’ but does not delve further into the matter.)

      The publishing and book assistance fund includes a mobility element to participate in international exhibitions where Morocco is present. In practice, this element is used to attract participants, even when it involves honorary invitations requiring the participation of all Moroccan publishers. Although there is a published call for projects, it is not organized transparently and serves as a barrier for publishers, including when they have to cover their own expenses. The purpose of this fund is to cover the costs of transporting books, but in practice, the ministry is so poorly organized that one official contacted publishers one by one three days before travel to ask them to take the books in their luggage… and there is no written record of this deficiency. There is no follow-up on return processes, which means that publishers struggle to reclaim the books they entrusted to the ministry… sometimes for up to two years.

      In practice, 70% of the total volume is reduced to 70%, while the remaining 30% is paid upon submission of supporting documents (including a stamp on the passport…). In practice, the amounts are paid later, after many delays. The ministry’s role is limited to renting a booth, in partnership with the Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development, which sponsors Morocco’s participation in international trade events across various sectors (tourism, agriculture, textiles, etc.). The ministry has no role whatsoever in proposing cultural initiatives, leaving this aspect to client associations that know they will not carry out this role effectively.

      The ministry even failed to meet its financial commitments to the association, forcing the association’s representative at the Frankfurt Book Fair to clarify that if the funds were not transferred within one hour, the exhibition organizers would cut off electricity to the booth.

      (Note: The Moroccan Publishers Union is content to respond that it ‘submits requests for support…’)

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Aides à la création et à l’édition

  • Aides à la coédition

    Programme public Fonction : Porter une politique du livre et de la lecture

    Through a call for publishing project submissions to the Ministry of Culture, this is done at the national level.

    Remarques

    Fifty copies of the published books are part of the supported projects in public libraries, but in reality, these books are rarely displayed in public libraries. Therefore, the issue is not a matter of prior purchase. Sometimes, there is a contradiction between the eligibility criteria mentioned in the call for projects and the published outcomes. This mechanism is often marred by favoritism.

    In addition to the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, there are regional agencies that fund books (usually promotional materials).

  • Aides à la cession de droits

    Programme public Fonction : Porter une politique du livre et de la lecture

    Through a call for publishing project submissions to the Ministry of Culture, this is conducted at the national level.

    Remarques

    The Publishers’ Union in Morocco says ‘no’ to support for the transfer of rights. To my knowledge, the support for book publishing within this program does not exclude or focus on this point. Therefore, I have maintained a ‘yes’ stance.

  • Aides à la traduction (intra-extra)

    Programme public Fonction : Porter une politique du livre et de la lecture

    Through a call for publishing project submissions to the Ministry of Culture, this is conducted at the national level.

    Remarques

    The institute considers its publishing assistance to be the second most important entity supporting books. This program focuses on aiding translation and purchasing French publishing rights. Recently, the ‘Books Between the Banks’ program, managed by the institute, has facilitated translation and joint publishing projects from 2021 to 2023. The timeframe is set from 2024 to 2026

  • Aides à la création littéraire

    Programme public Fonction : Porter une politique culturelle

    Through a call for publishing project submissions to the Ministry of Culture, this is conducted at the national level.

    Assistance is provided in several ways:

    • Scholarships for authors and/or illustrators
    • Writing and creative spaces
    • Other financial mechanisms such as awards
    Remarques

    The Moroccan Publishers Union mentions awards among other financing mechanisms. The Morocco Culture Ministry Award is the most significant. Authors and illustrators often resort to foreign assistance, for example, from the French Institute, the National Book Center in France, or the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture

  • Aides à la publication de livres

    Programme public Fonction : Porter une politique du livre et de la lecture

    Through a call for publishing project submissions to the Ministry of Culture, this is conducted at the national level.

  • Aides à la traduction en langues autochtones (intra-extra)

    Programme public

    There are assistance programs that support translation between national languages in Morocco, as well as from national languages to foreign languages (translation directed outward) and from foreign languages to national languages (translation directed inward).

    This is done through a call for publishing project submissions to the Ministry of Culture, conducted at the national level

    Remarques

    As for translation between the two national languages, Amazigh and Arabic, it is one of the responsibilities of the Translation Center at the Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture. However, it appears to be an internal task rather than a support window designed to assist private publishing houses.

    Support for translation is theoretically possible, but in practice, it is limited due to the small amount granted (10,000 MAD) and because the selection committee members rarely have any knowledge of languages other than having to rely on external experts, thus incurring their fees.

  • Aides aux maisons d’édition

    Programme public

    There is no support for publishing houses.

    Remarques

    The Union sees a financial contribution from the state but has not specified any mechanism. Assuming it refers to the publishing plan and direct assistance, which leans towards corporate support, I have maintained my answer as ‘no.’

    After the COVID crisis, state-guaranteed loans (Damane Relance and TPE Relance) were issued, but I am unsure if they benefited publishing companies. The attached chart refers to the sectors of industry, trade, distribution, and construction.
    (https://www.finances.gov.ma/PublishingImages/Actualit%C3%A9s/2020/damane_relance_et_relance_tpe_04-09-2020.png)

  • Soutiens à la présence de maisons d’éditions dans les salons internationaux

    Programme public Fonction : Porter une politique culturelle

    There are mechanisms or specific assistance to support publishers’ presence at book fairs and exhibitions at the national or international level through a call for project submissions.

    This applies to traditional books, but regarding e-books, there is only one publishing house specialized in digital publishing (the publishing house ‘Lo Manifest’ established in 2018) and international.

  • Aides à la publication en langues autochtones

    Programme public Fonction : Porter une politique culturelle

    There are mechanisms or specific assistance to support the publishing of books in local languages in Morocco.

    Remarques

    I believe the main distinction is between national languages and foreign languages (French, English, and Spanish). Amazigh is now recognized as an official language in the 2011 constitution. Thus, the support for Amazigh language initiatives is important. Furthermore, there is a trend to document the Amazigh language through the Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture (IRCAM), which has its own publications and does not support other projects, primarily through the Tirra Association (tirra.net), an association of teachers and writers based in Agadir, which is the leading organization in publishing in the Amazigh language. Therefore, I did not categorize Amazigh as a local language, even though there are challenges.

    As for publishing in Hassaniya, it is not viewed or counted as part of local publishing but rather as part of Arabic publishing.

  • Opinions des professionnel·le·s

    There is no value-added tax, which makes things easier. The fact that Morocco participates in many international trade fairs, especially those held in Frankfurt, Paris, Geneva, and others, means that small structures can participate, although the sometimes unprofessional image they project makes the benefits of association questionable… The Moroccan Publishers Union responds to this question by identifying three main measures that need to be taken: tax exemptions, structuring the sector and preventing counterfeiting, and finally, developing the sector through the education system.

    • The Ministry’s Book and Publishing Support Fund provides support for author residencies. It is aimed at young writers, established authors, cultural associations, and residency directors. The goal is to organize residencies in Morocco and accept foreign writers. From 2020 to 2020, the budget for this program was 153,000 dirhams (about 14,400 euros). This program is also a means of controlling the projects of publishers who need it, despite everything.

      The files that need to be compiled are thick and contain irrelevant documents that do not correspond to the actual transactions in the sector (such as letters of commitment). Sometimes, the results of the committee that decides on the allocation of funds are corrected after some publishers exert pressure through clientelist methods, leading the ministry to publish results that do not align with its allocation criteria. Furthermore, the unprofessionalism, incompetence, and negligence of staff have forced me to submit the same supporting documents five times, along with other documents requested without contractual basis. Finally, internal delays within the Moroccan administration have slowed down all these troubles, making this support fund completely ineffective.

      Maintaining a single store is a way to control the projects of publishers who still need it. The current assistance fund supports translations from and to Amazigh and Arabic. The conditions for obtaining funding are likely the same as for other components. Additionally, translations do not receive greater support than publishing assistance. Moreover, translating into languages not mastered by committee members means that experts must be called upon and paid, which does not always happen.

      Note: The Moroccan Publishers Union simply responds that it ‘provides drafts..

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Politiques culturelles

  • Livre et/ou lecture

    Programme public Fonction : Porter une politique du livre et de la lecture

    There are national or regional cultural policies with a general scope that encompass both traditional and digital publishing through:

    • The Ministry of Culture, which operates through a call for publishing and book project submissions.
    • The Hassan II Award for Publishing and Books.
    Remarques

    These calls for publishing and book projects are supported by the ministry. However, they have been ‘hijacked’ by clientelism pressures and the inefficiency of the officials in the ministry, making them ineffective, as the application process requires documents that do not align with professional life (in addition to the application form and invoice). Furthermore, there is a very long delay between the signing of the contract and the payment of support.

  • Alphabétisation

    Programme public Fonction : Recenser

    The High Commission for Planning measures the illiteracy rate, but the figures are not up to date. For Morocco in 2024, updated figures can be found here: https://www.hcp.ma/. There is no information related to reading.

    There is a national agency for combating illiteracy, but its website is currently under maintenance: https://www.anlca.ma/fr/. The new national strategy for combating illiteracy is set for 2023-2035: https://lematin.ma/nation/lutte-contre-lanalphabetisme-nouvelle-strategie-nationale-2023-2035/220827.

    The Ministry of Preschool and Sports also has initiatives related to literacy: https://www.men.gov.ma/Fr/Pages/ENF.aspx. Additionally, there is a literacy program in the mosques managed by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs: http://habous.gov.ma/tv/alif/.

    Remarques

    The reference book on reading is by Abdel Ali El-Yazmi (a university professor), titled Survey on Reading in Morocco, published by the Moroccan Association for Literacy and Reading in 1998. This topic is more often addressed in the press or in academic studies. For example: http://jourhui.ma/videos/76-des-eleves-marocains-ne-savent-ni-lire-ni-ecrire-2132 (article date: April 1, 2015, April 17, 2017).

    In particular, the Moroccan Network for Reading, which is primarily an association for teachers.

    Note: The Moroccan Publishers Union marked ‘yes’ regarding the existence of reading initiatives. Considering that current surveys only cover literacy and that there is nothing about reading except for the book by Abdel Ali El-Yazmi mentioned earlier, I maintained ‘no.’ I also mentioned civil society initiatives, but they are not public initiatives.

  • Plan national de Lecture

    Programme public Fonction : Porter une politique du livre et de la lecture

    One of the focal points of the Ministry of Culture’s call for publishing and book projects in 2017 was only 10% of the total budget. The Council’s opinion in 2019 highlighted this issue, but no action was taken.
    http://www.cese.ma/media/2020/10/Avis-Promouvoir-la-lecture.pdf

  • Opinions des professionnel·le·s

    Professional unions only represent the interests of their leaders.

    Recently, several representatives of new publishing houses informally gathered to unify their efforts to include their catalogs in the Morocco Book Fair, a project managed by the Independent Publishers Association of Morocco, and to support each other at the Nancy Book Fair and the Brussels Fair.

    White cards have also been organized for the International Publishing and Book Fair in Rabat, allowing them to present their titles and meet their readers. An interesting synergy is being created with the Independent Libraries Association in Morocco. This initiative takes on an informal character to avoid the stagnation observed in various professional associations that compete with each other and do not benefit the community.

    Creating genuine books and consolidating them under the law, respecting all relevant stakeholders. Implementing a genuine public policy to make books accessible to everyone in every aspect.

    For the Moroccan Publishers Association, the main challenges are piracy, distribution, and regulating the sector.

    There is no law regarding books and/or reading in Morocco.

    Note: In response to this question, the Moroccan Publishers Association pointed out the following positive aspects of the laws in Morocco: exemption from value-added tax. As for the changes, they call for the imposition of special rates for transporting books (certainly at the international level, where there is already a postal rate for books), a budget line allocated for purchasing books for all public bodies, and tax exemptions for publishers of cultural books. Thus, these responses do not specifically target a law but suggest a direction for public policy.

    The most significant developments related to public policies for books and reading in Morocco over the past ten years reflect stagnation, if not a decline. When we relate the budgets to the increase in the population, particularly those entering schools or attending literacy courses, the percentage is minimal. This indicates a genuine disregard for the sector and a refusal to accept the establishment of a knowledge-based society.

    The response from the Moroccan Publishers Union to this issue is ‘average,’ but it emphasizes the support provided for publishing, libraries, participation in international fairs, and author residencies

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Liberté d’expression

  • Obligation de déclarer les publications

    Décret Fonction : Contrôler

    Publishing a book in Morocco does not require prior or subsequent licensing. However, it is mandatory to obtain a legal deposit number from a government body, which is the National Library, and this number must be included in the book before printing. The Moroccan Publishers Union states that this step is equivalent to a licensing request. For several years, the National Office for Publications and Distribution has required a paginated summary when applying for legal deposit numbers and the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) — supposedly to provide an annual index of publications. This requirement may indicate a form of censorship; however, I am not aware of any explicit refusals based on content.

    Remarques

    In Morocco, there is no explicit censorship. I published a book that was distributed by the Association of Scholars, and it was withdrawn under the pretext of ‘making corrections,’ but it has not been returned to circulation. On the other hand, books from various sections were confiscated at the last two editions of the International Book and Publishing Fair in Rabat. The reasons provided were often false; one bookseller was told it was ‘to protect her’ from legal prosecution because the books contained a truncated map of Morocco, even though the books had been officially on sale for about twenty years.

  • Contrôle ou régulation des contenus

    Loi Fonctions : Contrôler et réguler

    Law No. 88-13 concerning media and publishing

    Remarques

    This text relates much more to journalism than to books, and certainly, Morocco responds negatively to this question regarding the book sector. Law No. 88-13 protects freedom of expression (Article 1, Paragraph 3), which prohibits incitement to hatred, war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, torture, and attacks on individuals based on their religion, gender, or color, as well as attacks on women, children, and people with disabilities. However, in practice, it is not enforced.

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Taxes

  • Taux plein de TVA

    Exonération

    Traditional books and all related works, including printing and delivery, are exempt from value-added tax (VAT) according to Law No. 85-30, Article 7. This applies to all activities related to the production and printing of books (in non-profit institutions).

    Remarques

    Digital books do not represent a significant market at all. As a result, there are no specific regulations. The major digital companies (including Amazon) aim to impose taxes on their sales in the West. I am not sure how much revenue will come from digital books, especially since Moroccans tend to automatically download books for free (often illegally).

  • Exonération ou régime fiscal spécifique au livre

    Code général des impôts

    There are general taxes on both traditional and digital books under the general income tax law. There is no mention in the customs regulations regarding taxes on the supply of books imported from countries that are not signatories to the Florence Agreement.

  • Taxation de l’importation de matériel informatique

    Code général des impôts

    There are import taxes applied at a rate of 2.5% on the value of each imported unit.

  • Taxation du papier

    Code général des impôts

    Import taxes are applied at rates of 2.5% and 17.5% on the value of each kilogram of paper, depending on the weight and composition. Specifically, there are additional rates such as 40%, 100%, and others for various categories.

    Remarques

    Paper and inks designated for book printing only benefit from the reduced tax rate if the importer specifies the size of the paper intended for book printing at the time of the order, which is practically impossible. Note: Under an agreement between Morocco and the European Union, all imports of European origin, if accompanied by an EURA or EURMED certificate of origin with the invoice, are exempt from export duties.

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Droit d’auteur

  • Traité de l’OMPI sur le droit d’auteur

    Loi Fonction : Protection des oeuvres littéraires et artistiques

    The amended dates are 2000, 2006, and 2014. The relevant laws include Law No. 66-19 and Law No. 24-2022, regarding the Moroccan Bureau for Copyright and Neighboring Rights.

  • Traité de Marrakech

  • Protection des expressions culturelles traditionnelles

    Loi Fonction : Protection des oeuvres littéraires et artistiques

    Law No. 2-00 concerning copyright and Neighboring rights, Article 9, Chapter 3.

  • Régulation du domaine public

    Loi Fonction : Réguler les droits moraux, patrimoniaux, et leur durée

    Law No. 2-00 concerning copyright and Neighboring rights, Article 10 – 11, addresses the rights of authors, including provisions for the duration of copyright protection. Specifically, it outlines that copyright lasts for the lifetime of the author plus 70 years, with particular terms for anonymous works.

  • Gestion des droits d’auteur

    Loi Fonction : Réguler les droits moraux, patrimoniaux, et leur durée

    Law No. 2-00 concerning copyright and Neighboring rights, Chapter 4, Article 16 regulates private copying of phonograms, which may include audiobooks.

    Remarques

    List of international agreements and treaties signed by Morocco:

    1. Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works

      • Date of accession: June 16, 1917
      • Managed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
      • References: BO No. 6058, Page 2208 / BO No. 2986, Page 55 / BO No. 3879, Page 52

    2. Brussels Convention

      • Date of ratification: May 22, 1952

    3. Universal Copyright Convention

      • Date of accession: August 2, 1972
      • Managed by UNESCO
      • References: BO No. 3204, Page 459

    4. Establishment of the World Intellectual Property Organization

      • Date of accession: July 27, 1971
      • References: BO No. 2986, Page 55

    5. Brussels Convention on Satellite Broadcasting

      • Date of accession: June 30, 1983
      • References: BO No. 3204, Page 459 / BO No. 3359, Page 345

    6. TRIPS Agreement (Annex on Intellectual Property to the Global Agreement)

      • Signed by Morocco in Marrakech on April 15, 1994

    7. WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT)

      • References: BO No. 6100, Page 2731

    8. Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access for Visually Impaired Persons

      • References: BO No. 6344

  • Protection des droits patrimoniaux

    Loi Fonction : Réguler les droits moraux, patrimoniaux, et leur durée

    Yes / Law No. 2-00 on Copyright and Neighboring Rights state that:

    • The duration of copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years after their death.
    • For anonymous works, the duration of protection is 70 years from the date of publication.

  • Régulation du droit d’auteur et du traducteur

    Loi Fonction : Réguler les droits moraux, patrimoniaux, et leur durée

    Law No. 00-2 concerning copyright does not specifically mention the rights of translators.

    Law No. 00-2 on copyright and neighboring rights, Chapter 4, Article 16, regulates the reproduction of libraries and archiving services

    Remarques

    People often complain, but they do not take legal action, under a system that lacks accountability

  • Opinions des professionnel·le·s

    (ALIM) There is also talk of including printers, given the challenges posed by piracy. This project is also the first step in raising public authorities’ awareness of the need to adopt a law regulating the book sector, particularly by protecting the book chain.

    The Moroccan copyright office is now calling for reform. With the liberalization of the airwaves and the establishment of private radio stations, the main goal is to amplify the demands of musicians. However, very few authors have joined this movement, and unfortunately, they did not persist.

    As for piracy, which is rampant in major city centers in the form of illegal downloads, it severely affects Moroccan authors, and there is almost no Moroccan book published that is immune to this issue (for instance, ‘Al-Marzouqi’ published by Dar Tarek). Consequently, no legal action is taken by Moroccan publishers, who lack the means to do so in any case. Therefore, it primarily affects Moroccan booksellers. This is a widespread phenomenon with dire consequences for promoting books and intellectual life.

    Note: The Moroccan Publishers Union addresses the following issues: forgery (physical and digital piracy on free download sites), supply, and sector organization.

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Normes internationales et identification du livre

  • Obligations relatives aux données d'identification des livres (ISBN, ISSN, ISN, RPI, etc.)

    Règlement Fonction : Enregistrer

    It is obtained for free from the Moroccan Agency for International Standard Numbering, which is part of the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco.

    Four copies of the book must be deposited in the National Library.

    Remarques

    Moreover, booksellers report that Arabic book publishers sometimes use the same legal deposit number for different titles (sometimes up to ten!), making it very difficult to identify the books.

    It was mandated that one of the four copies deposited for legal deposit should be donated to the National Library of France under an agreement that granted Moroccan publications a prominent status in France. It seems that this practice has been abandoned.

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Piratage des livres physiques et sites de téléchargement de livres gratuits

  • Opinions des professionnel·le·s

    • Book piracy has significantly impacted the book market over the past fifteen years or so. So much so that when I wrote my investigation titled The Book Under Test: The Faults of the Chain in Morocco (In All Letters, 2017), I dedicated an entire chapter to this topic called ‘The Piracy Market.’ Street vendors invade the centers of all major cities in Morocco, and many of them roam the terraces of cafes to sell pirated books. They create unfair competition for bookstores, which estimate their losses in the tens of millions. This phenomenon has taken an unprecedented turn: thanks to technological advancements, we have moved from simple reproductions of books. There are two channels: a national channel, involving small printing houses on the outskirts of the city, and an international channel, raising questions about complicity between customs and the foreign publications office of the Ministry of Communication. The last international book fair, in May 2024, highlighted this issue. For years, publishers and booksellers have been complaining and alerting the authorities. They themselves are too small to take the matter to court alone; only the National Library, a subsidiary of the Hachette Livre group, has managed to do so, but they are calling for action against piracy in the country. Public authorities pass the responsibility between the Ministry of Culture and the Moroccan Office of Copyright, with some statements from the minister welcoming the taste of the public. However, piracy devalues books and intellectual life, forcing authors, booksellers, and publishers to fund the human right to knowledge and culture. While we can see the extent of the phenomenon in the streets, we lack studies to determine the extent of the damage.

      The downloading of e-books has become pervasive. It has become common to receive unsolicited PDF files on WhatsApp, or for authors, students, and others to first ask where they can find a book and then ask if you can send them a PDF file. The number of download libraries is astonishing. Once again, no study has estimated the size of the phenomenon. In a survey on the cultural practices of Moroccans in 2016, the Roots Association reported that 14.4% of Moroccans had downloaded written documents from the internet (books or articles), without specifying the percentage of books in that figure or whether it was legal or not. In reality, the legal offerings are almost exclusively foreign, due to the lack of sufficient national production. The development of the digital market and legal offerings is also hindered by the dominant practice of free downloading. The availability of free books has undermined the idea that books and intellectual work have value, and that authors need to earn a living from their work, and so on

    The extent of piracy highlights the severity of the lack of infrastructure and public reading policies. People buy their books from anywhere, while fewer than one in three municipalities has a public library, and books are expensive compared to the minimum wage. However, it is clear that the Ministry of Culture has not grasped the magnitude of this deficiency, as it uses the reading budget to fund a publishing and book support fund, which supports private structures.

    There is also a need for all stakeholders in the book chain to raise awareness among readers and clarify how little is known about the so-called book chain. It is essential to create a valuable chain in Morocco for skilled crafts, producing ideas that people can recognize and engage with. There is an urgent need to make people aware that without this value chain, they will only have access to low-quality content conceived and produced elsewhere, resulting in a distorted image of themselves. We ourselves make this appeal when we meet our readers at book fairs, and we have realized that the argument of knowledge produced in Morocco, by Moroccans and for their fellow citizens, is very appealing to readers, as well as the argument, ‘Do you like the books we produce? Make them worthwhile and help us present this work.’

    Our call has sometimes come under conflicting circumstances, when a university professor distributed a book by a colleague that we published on WhatsApp lists. After we explained to him the conditions under which we work, which received no response, we did not hesitate to question his lack of professional conscience, his disregard for his colleagues, and his stinginess (as he receives a government employee’s salary and cannot even afford to buy a book), and finally his miserable bibliography, which clearly showed that he does not appreciate the value of intellectual work despite his position at the university.

    Finally, the initiative of the Independent Libraries Association in Morocco (ALIM) to establish a charter of ethics and good practices for the common profession aims to place the issue of piracy at the heart of political discourse

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