Collected works of Karl Marx and Friederich Engels, who laid the theoretical foundation of Communism, has disappeared from an international Marxist site after a British publisher claiming copyright over it pay-walled the multi-volume compendium.
Ironically, the publisher stopped free access of the Marx Engels Collected Works (MECW) on the eve of May 1, observed as International Workers Day the world over.
According to Marxists Internet Archive (www.Marxists.Org), the British publisher had directed the site to delete all texts originating from MECW.
A posting at the homepage of the site said no material from MECW would be available from marxist.Org from April 30. However, English translations of Marx and Engels from other sources will continue to be available on the site.
According to Left circles, the multi-volume work containing all the writings of Marx and Engels between 1835 to 1895 was first published by Progress Publishers of erstwhile Soviet Union.
The British publisher got the right to issue the English translation of the work as part of the Soviet Union's efforts to make available the writings of Communist icons in all major languages of the world.
An international signature campaign has started against the publisher's decision dubbing it as move to "privatise" the intellectual output of Marx and Engels.
