Millions Lost to Publishing Piracy Annually.
Pirated books cost local publishers up to Sh300 million yearly in lost revenue.
Potentially successful writers have no interest in writing due to the unauthorized republishing of their work.
Kiarie Kamau, head of the Kenya Publishers Association, claims that the sector is currently facing many issues. It is losing close to Sh300 million every year to pirates despite the group’s best efforts to combat the threat that piracy poses to our economy.
The chairman made these sentiments during a media briefing on the forthcoming Nairobi International Book Fair in Nairobi, which will take place at the Sarit Expo Centre from September 27th to October 1st.
According to Kamau, piracy continues to be a significant problem in the sector despite the efforts of the Anti-Counterfeit Authority and the Kenya Corporate Board to curb digital piracy.
The Anti-Counterfeit Act of 2008 authorized this organization’s establishment, which has the responsibility to combat the trade in counterfeit goods and promote programs that educate the general public about unlawful businesses.
The book fair has significantly progressed by increasing from 105 to 120 stands and will focus on young people at this year’s event.
The process of printing curriculum books, which had previously been done in a decentralized manner, was brought under government control in 2018.
Kamau stresses the fact that Kenya is the only country in Africa that has been able to achieve an equilibrium ratio in terms of book provision to the learners at elementary schools as well as secondary schools. This is something that Kenya has been able to do thanks to the government’s efforts.
Mary Miana, the chairwoman of the book fair, stated that the purpose of the yearly gathering of participants in the publishing sector is to strive to close the gap between the industry and the community. To encourage more people to buy books, Kamau urged the government to do away with the Value-Added Tax now imposed on books.
Millions Lost to Publishing Piracy Annually.