Number of pirate publications decreases

KOCAELİ - Anatolia News Agency

As a result of measures against pirated publications, the rate of pirated books has decreased to 30 percent, according to the Federation of Professional Associations of Publishers (YAYFED) Deputy Director Serhat Baysan, who added that the total rate of pirate products in the publishing sector was 60 percent before measures were taken.

Baysan said pirated publications were made through printed books, photocopying and the Internet. He said that although the number of printed pirated books had decreased in recent years, everything could be published as pirate on the Internet.

“The rate of pirated products was 60 percent in the publishing sector until recently, but this rate has decreased to 30 percent,” he said. Baysan added that nearly 450 million pirated books, including schoolbooks, were published in Turkey in 2012.

The YAYFED began giving banderoles in the country in 2012. “The federation prevented 600,000 banderoles from being given to ‘wrong’ publications over the last 10 months. The acceptable rate for pirated publication is 12 percent in Europe and the world. We are trying to reach this rate. Now we are working to prevent piracy in the field of photocopying. With a new system, first universities and then all photocopiers will be warned. We are also working with lawmakers on piracy through the Internet,” Baysan said.