- JEDDAH: The Ministry of Culture and Information said on Saturday that its copyright committee has taken up the case of Salwa Al-Adhidan, who accused Ayed Al-Qarni, an Islamic scholar, of copying parts of her book without mentioning the source.
"We have got all the documents presented by Al-Adhidan to prove her case," said Abdul Rahman Al-Hazza, the ministry's spokesman, adding that a decision on such issues would take time. He said the ministry was not deliberately delaying the case.
Al-Hazza said the committee had tried to reach a settlement between the plaintiff and the defendant but that proposal was rejected. Al-Qarni had replied to the allegation through a legal agent, in which he mentioned the sources from where he got the information.
"The committee had asked Al-Adhidan on Aug. 1 to reply to the statement made by Al-Qarni through his agent but until today her reply has not come," he said. The two parties will have the right to appeal against the committee's verdict at the Court of Grievances within 60 days after issuing the verdict.
