Most institutes of repute have academic course packs that comprise books by foreign authors and publications which help a student develop their ideas and outlook. Most students pore over such books in a library for hours taking down copious notes, but there are limitations of time.
Most often, a student is unable to afford such highly priced books. Keeping in mind limited infrastructure for reading facilities in libraries in India, and in order to expand the domain of knowledge, it is essential to allow content to be delivered to students. Books are meant to enhance the knowledge of pupils and such freedom is granted indirectly through Section 52 of the Copyright Act. One hopes that the publishers concerned do not challenge the Delhi High Court verdict (“A blow for the right to knowledge”, Sept.19).
Dimpy Bhatia,
New Delhi
The way forward is to acquire sufficient numbers of publications as student editions, probably at highly subsidised prices, and making them available to students. Using textbook material as a teaching aid in the course of instruction to students definitely does not amount to infringement of copyright. But photocopying amounts to unauthorised reproduction and may not enjoy the exemptions granted under the Copyright Act. Further, it does not encourage students to research a problem and search for additional material to develop their skills and originality.
I feel the IPR of the publisher has to be protected as most reputed publishers have the clause “no part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permission in writing or expressly permitted by law”. Neither is there permission under the Indian Reprographic Rights Organisation. Newspapers, journals and periodicals can get their publication costs offset by way of advertisement revenues, which does not happen in the case of publishing houses.
Pavitra Palagummi,
Hyderabad
The judgment has boosted the morale of the student community. This semester, we were told to refer to a publication by a foreign author. When I located the book in a large chain store, the rupee equivalent of the book’s price in dollars came to more than Rs.10,000. The photocopy store in my college offered to do the whole book for Rs.500. I wish the copyright system facilitates the growth of knowledge.
Vedant Mishra,
Unnao, Uttar Pradesh
The article highlights the growing confrontation between the patent/copyright regime and the not-so-privileged ones. How many Indian students can afford to buy books that cost over Rs.300? Had Roentgen (the discoverer of X-rays) or Alexander Fleming (for penicillin) chosen to get their findings patented, wouldn’t the world have suffered? I would also like to pose this question to those who talk about copyright and are based in the West: don’t you “borrow” traditional knowledge from indigenous populations and get away with it? When you patent them, what about the rights of the indigenous populations?
Naveen Rattu,
Chandigarh
