Publishers cry foul as textbook piracy threatens industry’s survival

THE printing and publishing industry is appealing to Government to step in and protect local investments from the threats of textbook piracy and the dumping of books from neighbouring countries.

Industry stakeholders said the development is undermining the viability of local publishers and jeopardising the investments made by local companies.

Textbook piracy, involving the illegal copying and distribution of books, has become a significant problem leading to substantial revenue losses for publishers.

Additionally, the influx of cheaper books from other countries is making it difficult for local publishers to compete, further exacerbating the industry’s challenges.

Publishing companies are calling for stricter enforcement of intellectual property rights and measures to curb the import of books that threaten the local market. They argue that without Government intervention, the future of the industry is doomed.

This emerged during a tour of the Directory Publishers premises in Belmont, Bulawayo by Industry and Commerce Minister, Mangaliso Ndlovu on Friday.

Speaking during the tour, Directory Publishers managing director, Mr Bradley Beale informed Minister Ndlovu about the influx of cheap imported textbooks from India, saying it adds to the industry’s challenges.

By addressing these issues, Mr Beale said Government can help ensure the growth and stability of the publishing sector, which plays a crucial role in supporting education and literacy in the country.

He said copyright infringement has seen their sales decline by 80 percent as of March this year.
“The piracy issue is the major problem in the textbook business and the number of informal textbooks being printed affects our business. There are also cheap textbooks that are produced in other countries and dumped here,” said Mr Beale.

Authors and publishers are being fleeced of their dues through piracy as some unscrupulous individuals are now involved in the business of replicating copyrighted literature through scanning, photocopying, printing and electronic duplication of books.

Pirated copies usually cost less than half the original work, sounding a potential death knell to the formal sector as most people are now resorting to buying replicated textbooks.

In Bulawayo, pavements are full of illegally produced textbooks significantly marked down from bookshop prices.
Mr Beale urged the Government to come up with stiff penalties for offenders who are illegally producing other people’s work.

He said the US$50 fine being paid by offenders was not deterrent enough.
Minister Ndlovu agreed that there is a need for Government to come up with policies that protect local industries from the influx of cheap products and violation of intellectual property rights.

“The publishing industry is a sub-sector that needs protection and all relevant ministries need to come up with a way to deal with these challenges,” he said.

Directory Publishers has invested more than US$1 million in the last 24 months, a development which will allow them to improve capacity and at the same time allow them to remain relevant in the market through the introduction of different technologies.-chronicle