Buying a book online is often cheaper but it can violate
copyright law, according to the Shanghai Press and Publication
Bureau.
More merchants are selling books online simply by downloading
digital editions and printing them. Most of the digital information
is provided by the online community for file sharing.
Many buyers like the low cost of such books, but experts said it
violates intellectual property rights law.
"It is legal for people to download books from Websites for
reading or research, but it violates the author's rights if they
are downloading a book to make money," said Gu Changsheng, a
lawyer. "But people who spread novels unattributed on the Internet
without approval, even if they do not intend to make money, also
violate the copyright."
Copyright law stipulates that any person or organization using
the work of others on the Internet should obtain permission from
the owner and pay an agreed amount.
Online books not only include published novels, but also class
notes for students.
"Merchants also violate the law if they print the notes and sell
them without permission," said an official of the Shanghai Press
and Publication Bureau.
Nonetheless, the bureau did not express serious concern about
the problem.
"Though we haven't cracked down on online merchants, we will
investigate if there is a lawsuit about this," the bureau said.
The books are popular with students.
"We prefer the online books because they are very cheap," said a
college student surnamed Chen. "For example, it costs me more than
20 yuan (US$2.5) to buy a novel in a bookstore, but for the same
amount I can buy four online printed novels."
Other students said they will resort to printed books online
only when they can't find a certain title in stores.
"The online option is useful because we can even find textbooks
no longer published," said Li Renbin, a freshman majoring in
finance.
(Shanghai Daily April 17, 2007)