Halting print pirates is not an open book
Halting print pirates is not an open book
By Yogita Tahil Ramani
JAKARTA (JP): Imitation may be one of the sincerest forms of
flattery, but don't tell that to a local book publisher. Book
piracy and general disregard for copyrights on printed matter are
staggering.
"I'll give you an estimate: 99.99 percent of books sold along
the streets in Senen and Jatinegara (in Jakarta), and in Bandung
are pirated copies," said Aris Buntarman, promotion manager of
Gramedia, the country's largest publisher.
Aris outlined three copyright infringements on printed matter:
reproducing books without publishers' permission, copying or
quoting huge excerpts without publishers' permission, and
translating without obtaining the copyright holder's approval.
One of the most popular pirated books is Kamus Inggris-
Indonesia, the Indonesian-English Dictionary by John M. Echols
and Hassan Shadily. The original printed by Gramedia costs Rp
48,000, while the knockoff sells for between Rp 10,000 and Rp
15,000.
They sell well, causing publishers to bemoan losses and the
lack of respect for intellectual property rights.
High school student Rizal took a different view. "Why should I
bother with the Rp 48,000 John M.Echols original dictionaries
when I can get them for Rp 11,500 at Senen?"
Despite the rampant piracy, stiff penalties are in place. The
revised copyright law No. 12/1997 stipulates a maximum seven-year
jail sentence and Rp 100 million fine for offenders.
But the sentences handed down have been light, ranging from
probation periods to three-year prison terms.
Publishers argue intellectual property rights are linked to a
society's welfare, and violations of these rights will only
hinder progress in the long-term.
"There is extreme lack of public awareness about the meaning
and function of copyrights," said Syaiful Zen, head of the anti-
piracy team of the Indonesian Publishers Association.
"Particularly when it comes to gaining for personal benefit in
ways that defy law."
He also complained about a similar lack of understanding about
the significance of copyrights among law enforcers.
Lenient sentences and surging demand for pirated books have
nurtured the emergence of a new breed of intellectual pirates.
"It is not about struggling people or those living a hand-to-
mouth existence," said Balai Pustaka publishing director Wahyudi
Ruwiyanto. "There was the case of a law graduate and her engineer
husband. All they got was between six months and one year (in
jail)."
With distribution points in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta,
Solo, Semarang and Surabaya, there are over 50,000 pirated copies
of Balai Pustaka school textbooks and more than 25,000 pirated
editions of the Balai Pustaka Indonesian dictionary Kamus Besar
Bahasa Indonesia (Complete Dictionary of Indonesian ) in book
markets, according to Wahyudi.
"Adding to the feature of new logos to differentiate the
'good' from 'bad', we now have holograms imprinted on all
original copies," Wahyudi said.
Balai Pustaka applies direct-selling methods to try to ensure
students do not buy pirated books. Eliminating middlemen from the
scene, Balai Pustaka hires salespeople to sell textbooks and
dictionaries at a discount to educational institutions.
"The students will definitely buy compulsory textbooks with
salespeople coming to their schools and selling books at a
discounted price."
Syaiful said the intricacies of piracy cases and legal
procedures continued to be important issue. Concerted efforts
bring gains, but the problem is still overwhelming.
"The situation is pathetic and the effect on the reading
culture is disastrous," Syaiful said. "There are mafia-like
syndicates running with book covers made in Surabaya and content
printed in Bekasi, not to mention problems of selling books at
competitive prices without being at the losing end."