Publishers seek ways to cut down book piracy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Cutting prices is the best way to combat
\nliterary piracy which is pushing local publishers to the brink of
\nbankruptcy, a publisher said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Alfons Taryadi said people would buy the cheapest books
\nregardless of paper quality or copyright.<\/p>\n
\"What people are concerned about are a book's content and
\nreasonable prices,\" Alfons said.<\/p>\n
Publishers reduced book prices by using lower quality paper he
\ntold a seminar on copyright, held by the Association of
\nIndonesian Publishers.<\/p>\n
Indonesian publishers, including state-owned Balai Pustaka and
\nthe giant Gramedia, have reported big losses because of copyright
\npiracy.<\/p>\n
Pirated books sold in roadside kiosks are much cheaper than
\nthe originals sold in bookstores. The government's efforts to
\neradicate piracy have not proved too successful.<\/p>\n
Data from the publishers association reveals, that between
\nJanuary 1985 and February 1997, 144 titles of books published by
\nits members were pirated.<\/p>\n
The association estimates that its members lose Rp 2 billion
\n(US$815,000) a year from piracy.<\/p>\n
Under the 1982 law on property rights, anyone found guilty of
\nplagiarizing intellectual works are liable to a maximum penalty
\nof seven years in prison and\/or a fine of Rp 100 million.<\/p>\n
Publishers have persistently complained about taxes which have
\ncatapulted book prices and aggravated piracy.<\/p>\n
Alfons said piracy was endangering the survival of publishers
\nand discouraging writers, who lose royalties although sales may
\nbe high.<\/p>\n
\"The pirates only plagiarize books, they don't care about
\nwriters,\" he said. \"But competing with them is difficult because
\nthey are not bound by regulations and do not have to pay taxes.\"<\/p>\n
Cita C. Priapantja, head of the Indonesian Intellectual
\nProperty Society, said that rampant literary piracy was caused by
\ndifferent perceptions between police and state prosecutors on
\nproperty rights.<\/p>\n
The public needed to know that it was wrong to buy pirated
\nbooks although they were cheap.<\/p>\n
\"People should be aware that they should respect intellectual
\nproperty rights by not buying pirated books,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Hadiah Herawatie, a State Secretariat employee working with
\nlegal matters, said that few police officers had been trained to
\nhandle matters related to intellectual property rights.<\/p>\n
The State Secretariat in cooperation with Supreme Court, the
\nMinistry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Justice had
\nregularly trained law enforcers on intellectual property rights,
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
Last year, 154 officers took part in the training program.
\nAnother 90 officers would take part in training sessions this
\nyear, she added. (05\/11)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/publishers-seek-ways-to-cut-down-book-piracy-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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