Vatican demands royalties for Pope’s writings and speeches

ROYALTIES for Pope Benedict XVI’s writings and speeches? The Italian publishing world is aghast.

The demand by the Vatican to respect copyright on the pontiff’s writings and pay for their use has triggered hot debate: should an institution which exists to spread the word of God be putting a price on papal writ?

While the question is pondered, the new papacy is shaping up as a publisher’s dream. Benedict’s first encyclical, God is Love, is a best-seller.