Every year, in the 23rd of April, the UNESCO celebrates the World Book and Copyright Day to promote a culture of reading among the communities , spread the concept of copyright , and protect the intellectual property.

The importance of books stems from being the material expression of our thoughts and ideas ,  the reflection of the writer’s interaction with the society in all its aspects , and a window on worlds beyond physical reach enhancing our knowledge of the vast human experiences throughout time and space .
Books also play a role in stimulating a culture of inquiry , logical thinking skills , better communication skills .
That is why many countries, every year on this day, organize a number of activities and events aiming to reinforce the importance of literature  in the society and creating a favorable environment for the acquisition of books .

From the printing press to the internet revolution , From printed books to E-books technology played an integral part in shaping our reading experience ,   and with the emergence of social media as another source of information many people turned away from books and other printed material and toward the new interactive outlets of information .
Nevertheless the book as a printed readable material will always be one of the main pillars of knowledge .
Being careful to protect and encourage  authors, many countries developed laws to protect their rights.  The author’s intellectual and financial rights include the freedom to publish  his literary works , objecting on any encroachment, forbidding any deletion, amendment or unlawful production of his work .  The intellectual rights remain reserved even after the author is dead.

In Syria, and over the past decades , the encroachment of the police state on the citizen’s intellectual creativity and expression , and the media outlets in all its forms  and due to a policy of censorship  heavily enforced  , thousands of books were banned , websites were blocked and many writers were imprisoned and silenced .

The Center for Civil Society and Democracy in Syria