A Russian publisher has released a series of books about Vladimir Putin under the names of a number of journalists, without their permission, it has...

A Russian publisher has released a series of books about Vladimir Putin under the names of a number of journalists, without their permission, it has been reported.

Moscow-based publishing house Algoritm has released books purporting to be by the Guardian’s Luke Harding and the Economist’s Edward Lucas, among others, in its Project Putin series, reported the Guardian.

Algoritm is promoting Harding’s Nobody But Putin on its website, which it “develops the idea” explored in Harding’s Mafia State, which was published by Guardian Faber.

Harding told the Guardian that the first he heard about Nobody But Putin was “a couple of weeks ago when a Russian friend said he’d spotted ‘my book’ in a Moscow bookstore”.

Algoritm’s Sergei Nikolayev said it had not sought permission from Harding to use his work in the new book, and added: “If he [Harding] surfaces then we will come to some agreement and pay him a fee.”

Lucas told the Guardian he had “absolutely no idea” about How the West Lost to Putin, published last year by Algoritm under his name.

He said: “I have not given permission of any kind. It is clearly a breach of copyright.”

Nikolayev declined to comment on Lucas’ claims, or those of US-based Russia expert Donald Jensen, who also said he did not know about a book published under his name by Algoritm.

