If I translate a book into another language, do I own the copyright for the translation?

In Plain English

Based on the information provided, if you translate a book into another language, you may have certain exclusive rights to that translation under copyright law. Specifically, the Copyright Act 1968 grants the copyright owner of a literary work the exclusive right to make an adaptation of the work. An adaptation can include a translation. Therefore, translating a book could give you copyright over that specific translation.

Detailed Explanation

The Copyright Act 1968 defines copyright as the exclusive right to do certain acts in relation to a work. Section 31(1)(a) of the Copyright Act 1968 states that in the case of a literary work, copyright includes the exclusive right to:

• make an adaptation of the work; and
• to do, in relation to a work that is an adaptation of the first-mentioned work, any of the acts specified in relation to the first-mentioned work in subparagraphs (i) to (iv), inclusive;

"Adaptation" is not specifically defined in the provided context, but translating a literary work is generally considered an adaptation. Therefore, the translator may own the copyright in the translation as an adaptation of the original work.

However, it's important to note that this does not affect the copyright in the original work. The original author (or copyright holder) still retains copyright over the original work. To legally translate and publish a book, you would typically need permission (a license) from the copyright holder of the original work.