The Cedars.
.....
....The most famous cedars, known as Arz el Rab
or Cedars of the Lord, are those of Bsharre. Only in this grove, the oldest
in Lebanon, gives an accurate idea of the stature and magnificence these trees
attained in antiquity. About 375 cedars of great age stand in a sheltered
glacial pocket of Mount Makmel.
Four of them, many hundreds of years old, have reached a height of 35 meters
and their trunks are between 12 and 14 meters around. They have straight trunks
and strong branches that spread their regular horizontal boughs like fans.
Also among the inhabitants of the forests are some thousand young trees, planted
in recent decades to ensure the future of this national resource. The slow-growing
cedar, with its long life span, requires at least 40 years before it can even
produce fertile seeds. Like any other treasure of great antiquity, the Bsharre
cedar grove requires special care and protection. Concern for this modern
remnant of historic cedars goes back to 1876 when the 102-hectare grove was
surrounded by a high stone wall. Financed by Great Britain's Queen Victoria,
the wall protects against one of the cedar's natural enemies, the goats who
enjoy feasting on young saplings. More recently, a "Committee of the
Friends of the Cedar Forest", organized in 1985, is attempting to deal
with the damage and disease - brought by both man and nature - that afflicts
the trees. To improve the general health and appearance of the forest, the
Committee has removed tons of dead wood and fertilized the soil. Various pests
and diseases are being treated and lightning rods have been installed for
further protection. Three thousand meters of attractive pathways have been
built so visitors can enjoy the grove without causing damage. Also due for
attention is a Maronite chapel in the center of the forest. Built in 1843
when these cedars were under the protection of the Patriarchate, the chapel
is the scene of a special annual celebration on the 6th of August.....
....
Decree
N. 2385 of 17/1/1924 as amended by law N. 76 of 3/4/1999 ( articles 2, 5, 15,
49 and 85 ) lays down as follows:
The author of a literary or artistic work, by the very fact of authorship, has
absolute right of ownership over the work, without obligation of recourse to
formal procedures . The author will himself enjoy the benefit of exploitation
of his work, and he possesses exclusive rights of publication and of the reproduction
under any form whatsoever. Whether the work in question comes under the public
domain or not those persons will be liable to imprisonment for a period of one
to three years and to fine of between five and fifty million Lebanese pounds,
or to either one of these penalties, who
1-will
have appended or caused to be appended a usurped name on a literary or artistic
work;
2-will have fraudulently imitated the signature or trademark adopted by an author,
with a view to deceiving the buyer;
3-will have counterfeited a literary or artistic work;
4-or will have knowingly sold, received, or put on sale or into circulation
a work which is counterfeit or signed with a forged signature.
The punishment will be increased in the event of repetition.