It is unthinkable for a newspaper to be priced thus in India, where most papers cost Rs2 or Rs3. Readers will pay no more than that. Most newspapers offer annual subscriptions for Rs299 or Rs199 or less. This means that the cost of subscription is less than a rupee per copy. This is not because newsprint is cheaper in India. It’s the same price worldwide and it costs the same to print The Express Tribune as it does The Times of India. However, Indians will not pay more and would rather pay nothing at all for information and entertainment.
We must keep this in mind when addressing the matter of the Delhi University (DU). Its students have called the Oxford University Press (OUP) and the Cambridge University Press (CUP) “criminals”. These two publishers have filed a lawsuit seeking a ban on photocopying of their books. The publishers claim that a shop at the university hands out “course materials”, essentially photocopies of books that are recommended reading.
The students agree they do this, but refuse to buy the OUP and CUP books. They say they won’t, unless the books are discounted for them by these publishers. According to a released statement, which has not yet been disowned, the DU’s students and faculty want that a “strict warning be given to these criminal presses that they cannot get away with this sort of bullying and stifling of democratic student culture”.
I accept that we have fallen as a nation but when did copyright theft by the middle class become democratic culture? I am puzzled also by the demand that the publishers should subsidise the books. Let us compare the net price at which the book is sold in India with the net price (in brackets) at which the book is sold abroad.
Published by the Cambridge University Press:
Socio-religious reform movements in India, by Kenneth Jones Rs295 (Rs3,150)
A social history of the Deccan, by Richard Eaton Rs626 (Rs5,175)
The Marathas, by Stewart Gordon Rs150 (Rs6,015)
The Sikhs of the Punjab, by JS Grewal Rs250 (Rs5,484)
Published by the Oxford University Press:
Illustrating India, by Jennifer Howes Rs2,655 (Rs11,883)
Jawaharlal Nehru, by S Gopal Rs2,025 (Rs12,435)
Interpreting Mughal painting, by Som Prakash Verma Rs535 (Rs2,760)
Mughals and Franks, by Sanjay Subrahmanyam Rs338 (Rs1,545)
I have listed these books because I bought them in the last few days. But it is true for most publishers. The OUP and the CUP have done outstanding service to India. They have done this first, by commissioning and publishing the finest studies of India and her culture. Histories unrivalled for quality, including those written in Indian languages. Secondly, they have subsidised these works, selling them for less than they are worth and often, many times, less than others currently pay for them. It is fine not to acknowledge their service (in my opinion, Indians are particularly ungrateful), but it is indecent to call them “criminals”.
And then this threat is made: “We will actively ensure that no books of these presses are used in the campus and will urge all teachers not to recommend any books or readings published by them. Instead, we would work on other options of open sources and free dissemination of knowledge and urge other faculty and students to do the same.”
Why not go ahead? It addresses both the problem of poor students and the complaint of copyright theft. The fact is that it is an empty threat. There is no replacement. This business of ripping off someone’s life’s work is also not free of cost to society. I learnt to my dismay that of the OUP’s superb Themes in Indian history series, only three of 15 volumes are in print. When the colleges for which these texts were written for refuse to purchase them, not many amateur buyers can fill the gap.
It is not expected that students will show maturity here. The history of India’s violent student actions show that they usually can be trusted to do the wrong thing. However, the faculty should distance itself from this obscene attack. To malign these publishers for defending themselves against theft is unfair and unjust. Threatening to discard them is to kill the goose that’s laying, for all of us, golden eggs.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2012.
COMMENTS (35)
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Give a break to the DU facility & students. After all the Brits have looted the subcontinent for few hundred years. So what is a few rupees in return?
@gp65:
"You guys get out of control if a former convict in US offends your faith but educated PAkistanis think nothing of taking swipes at our faith"
Perhaps you didn't read the reference line of my comment. Read it again and think why I felt the need even to respond.
“I asked him whether it is legal, and this lad from the land of pure, only had to tell me “who cares?”
You think only Indians have the right to label Pakistanis and call them names, and you Indians are something special and nobody dare return the favor. The bad news is, it is not going to happen. The "land of gods and all good" viz-a-viz "land of pure" is perhaps not a bad analogy, or else you can suggest what words I should have used instead.
@Lala Gee: "After the class an Indian student, from the land of gods and all good, approached me"
Is there a reason you had to bring Hindu Gods into this? You guys get out of control if a former convict in US offends your faith but educated PAkistanis think nothing of taking swipes at our faith.
Now don't get me wrong - this is free speech but just as the movie was obnoxious, so is your speech. And I am not bent out of shape because you choose to be disrespectful.
@Ghati:
"I asked him whether it is legal, and this lad from the land of pure, only had to tell me “who cares?"
You reminded me of a similar incidence while I was attending a course abroad. On the first day of the course, the instructor distributed a few genuine sets of very expensive software suites to the students of his choice. I was one of the lucky ones who benefited from his discretion. After the class an Indian student, from the land of gods and all good, approached me and asked me to make a copy of the CDs for him. Even though I would have liked to help him but that was just not possible because the software required online registration and activation, and if I had given him a copy I myself could have lost the piece. However, in spite of explaining all this, he wouldn't leave me alone and kept asking for copies for several days even after my straightforward refusal.
@Ghati:
"I met this Pakistani guy in East Ham, London, who was preparing for PLAB like me. He had photocopies of Textbook of Medicine by Kumar and Clark for which he paid only Rs 120/- (in Pakistani Currency)"
In Pakistan a single page of photocopy costs around Rs. 2.00. So, you can get only a chapter or two of a text book photocopied for Rs. 120, which perhaps is not totally illegal.
@Nitish: Please come down to Wilson Garden, which is the equivalent of London's Fleet Street in Bangalore. This is where bulk of the newspapers, Magazines and Periodicals are distributed (Please do not confuse with printing)and disbursed in Bangalore. Some times you do not have to pay for it either, many of the papers are dumped on the road side, not the old stale ones.... Doubt it....Please drop for your self. Or better check with your news paper vendor. Rgds P
this column has suddenly become about rates flying in south and north india..lol..
@gp65: @unbeliever: In Mumbai Newspapers are cheaper. My parents get ET for Rs. 2, daily mirror for free and Times of India for Rs.1. I would be very suprised if that would be the case - as far as I know, ToI is sold nowhere in the country for Rs. 1. In Bombay, ToI typically offers regular weekday newspaper along with either Mumbai Mirror or ET at Rs. 4.50 (combination of 2 newspapers). Typically MM becomes the standard free supplement option while ET is sold separately at Rs. 2, which means all three would cost at least Rs. 6.50 and not Rs. 3 as you indicate (I am assuming that by Daily Mirror, you mean the Mumbai Mirror).
@Zeeshan:
AKBAR THE GREAT, is indeed quite respected in india. but Sad that he became an apostate from islam.
JAHANGIR, is still identified as the always drunk king, and as SALIM from mughal-e-azam.
SHAHZEHAN, had gifted us with tajmahal which brings lots of foreign toursts: more money for my country. so, he is indeed remembered for bringing some dollars for this poor country.
and, AURANGZEB, though we do not remember him quite fondly, yet pakistanis love for him more than compensates, for our losses.
rest were plain idiots, and nobody knows about them. although, for your satisfaction, i must add, the most powerful people in INDIA still have their residence somewhere around AURANGZEB ROAD, not SHIVAJI ROAD.
@unbeliever: Yes i agree with you.I m living in almost a bathroom after paying a monthly rental of 4000rs.Deposit 30000rs.Even then my mates say that i got a good ,clean room at pretty reasonable rate to live.One time meal costs 50 rs.So two time meal costs(which i take usually,no chance for third time even breakfast) around 100rs per day.So if you have to survive (note i mention only to survive) in Bangalore you have to expand atleast 10000rs per month.This statics is relevant to ITPL road ,Bangalore.
@Whats in the name:In Which part of south india you r living?Here ,i m staying in bangalore(whitefield).Price of TOI daily newspaper is 4Rs .In addition to that,For sunday times(special TOI edition available on each sunday) one has to pay 5rs.Yes there is a local edition of TOI available at the cost of 1.5rs,but it is just supplementary.People here used to buy both regular as well as local edition.So one has to pay 5.5rs per day as a sum . Vender charges 150Rs as a monthly subscription.Other news papers(including HT,Deccan herald) r also not so cheap as its price is almost same as TOI.
@Whats in the name:
Please come down to the south, You would get most of the English Dailies at Rs 2.50 or Rs 3 a piece. And many of the vernacular papers at Rs 2 and some at Rs 1 also
fine. BUT what about the space to live and breathe. in lucknow i have a flat at 5000 rs. but, i am not sure, that i would even get a bathroom at that price in bangalore.
What a wonderful piece of thought by Mohd. Aakar Patel
Mr.Patel has raised an important issue. But, he did not address the issue of price, rather the burden of price, well enough.
An Engineering student has 8 semesters and has to 6 subjects every semester. That amounts to 48 books at a minimum.
Most of these books cost an upwards of 200 Rs. That would make the total cost of buying them books per year to 2400, which is really steep.
Its a choice between education and honesty.
I really understand the irritation of the writers of these books.
The article in fact highlighted the issue of our sub-continent society that our people are habitual to get things done at other's cost. I heard some one ;Kam be ho jay or damrhi be na jay' Besides, It is quite amazing for me that Indians are so lucky to have these books by CUP and OUP in such a cheap cost... and above all.... Newspaper is 2 or 3 Rupees. In Pakistan, we pay significantly high amount as compared to India.
Mr Patel..may be you know the inside rates of newspaper..In my region Hindi newspaper are more expensive than english newspaper...and the Hindi newspaper are more read..and frankly speaking even I like reading it cause it gives all the local and international news better than the TOI or HT ... The national dailies give better newspapers in Metro's not in remote regions...
And I remember once stuck in Delhi traffic..they were selling this pirated copies of Da Vinci Code for 100 Rs..who would'nt buy that..
Not sure if I agree Aakar. If one sums up the costs of the books you have listed, it comes to around Rs. 7000/-. This is not a small sum for someone from the economically disadvantaged segments (or is it presumed that all students are well to do?). I presume there must be other texts to be purchased as well. I think if prices are in the Rs. 200 - 400 range, they would be affordable. Charging a student 2000+ bucks for a book, seems to me, forgive me, criminal and exploitative.
While I respect the scholarship that has gone into the books, OUP and CUP are not in the business for altruistic reasons but to make money, the more the better. As studies over the past few years of the academic publishing business has shown, these organizations rip off both the writer and the reading public. See here and here.
In engineering and science degree courses, Prentice Hall India and Wiley Economic Editions and Tata Mcgraw Hill bring out books in this price range and students prefer to buy rather than photocopy. These books too are by world renowned people in the field and the US / European editions cost anywhere from $50 to hundreds of dollars. So it can be done.
@unbeliever: In Mumbai Newspapers are cheaper. My parents get ET for Rs. 2, daily mirror for free and Times of India for Rs.1 I guess they rely on advertisement for revenues.
and your problem?
it is not justified to stop the students from getting photo copy of a book i am aware of legal side of it but i think that it is the only wat or poosr students to continue their research and studies. Or countries and naatioins, educaational institutions should find out ways to impart cheap knowledge.
I think what is missing in the recent agreement between india and pakisatn was exchange of newspapers and books let indian papers come to pakisatn but then the question is would new media barron in pakisatn would let this happen.
@Rsingh,
None of you Indians read the "Muslim past" with joy. If you do, Mughal would have been the most celebrated rulers of South Asia. Instead, it was Shivaji who became your national hero.
I was in UK when this happened and since it is a different discipline I presume it must be better in other fields. I met this Pakistani guy in East Ham, London, who was preparing for PLAB like me. He had photocopies of Textbook of Medicine by Kumar and Clark for which he paid only Rs 120/- (in Pakistani Currency). I asked him whether it is legal, and this lad from the land of pure, only had to tell me "who cares? I get it at cheaper price and that's it!". I, with my fully paid version of the book felt like a fool. Aakar Patel thinks that people in the land of pure are all paragons of virtue, and the heathens from India are the ones who care very little for copy right and all that rubbish.
By the way, newspapers in India make profit from the advertisements, transferring the extra cost of printing, publishing and distributing the newspapers. May be, Pakistani newspapers are too god fearing to penalize the big companies, who give advertisements, rather than burden the readers!
@unbeliever: The Hindu is available in Lucknow for Rs 6 because it is flown in from Delhi and not published there. There is no Lucknow Edition of this paper.
Other than that, I used to pay 200 annually only for the student edition which was supplied directly to schools. Otherwise I have been paying an average of 100 rs per month for monthly subscription of the leading daily.
@Leena Wirk: I just cant understand how you brought the issue of "rape" in an article about copyright infringement....
Though I can understand the severe issue of rape in Delhi,though I feel a few encounters would solve the issue...I would advise you to stick to the topic....
What next are u going to post??? About inflation in a post relating to fine arts???
@Unbeliever: Please come down to the south, You would get most of the English Dailies at Rs 2.50 or Rs 3 a piece. And many of the vernacular papers at Rs 2 and some at Rs 1 also. Yes it is still a mystery to my as to how they make money. And as per my observation the Dailies are only growing in number. To all the cynics and skeptics who keep harping about 800 million people in India living on less than 2 dollars a day. The newspaper story pretty much should sum up what money can buy here. Mean to say some of the home made commodities are really cheaper that what is thought from outside. No disrespect to people who are earning.....the said amount..... Rgds P
this is a common problem every where written in the garb of an "Indian" problem.
He forgot to add how these college students in DU eve tease girls in the open and gang rape them at night. There is an educational divide in Delhi between the wealthy punjabis and the other large population of students. The punjabis think they are better in every way. But it is the reality- as a woman I am scared to go out of the house any time of the day. As far as this book business is concerned, what is there to be surprised? They will never understand. Delhi is beautiful because of its culture of mughalism, and its beautiful masjids, mandirs and gurudwaras. But the people in Delhi make Delhi a very bad city to live in and be free in.
The anathema to pay is rampant and ingrained. It is not just books or newspapers but extends to all forms of copyright violations whether movies, software etc. It is a good that you are raising this issue but you are shedding light at a single aspect. The fact is most will not pay a dime if they can get away with it. Call it a general decline of morals, lack of ethics or whatever but in the process we have sold our souls to the devil. And to be brutally honest, this is not generally due to lack of capacity to pay. It may be for the university students who copy books, but there are "professionals" working in the industry who are hooked to torrents for movies and software. Tell me how many have an authentic Microsoft Office suite ? This is not to malign all and sundry, because there are those who will only work on LibreOffice, OpenOffice etc but they are a minority for sure. And the greatest irony is that most of the people who indulge in such behavior are actually the upwardly mobile, educated middle class who will be at the forefront of any "I am Anna" or India Against Corruption (IAC) agitation. Corruption rankles because it hurts some of us but copyright theft is game. Its not just governments, politicians or nations who indulge in double standards, we are as much adept at the art ......
As far as I know, the ToI subscription is available for a min of INR 130 - 145 per month in Delhi. If there is a subscription available for 199/ 299 for a full year, I would request the writer to arrange some for my friends. It is possible that he hasn't noticed that it isn't only academic material but even regular fiction/ non-fiction which is available at a lower price published exclusively for sale in the sub-continent - these are not the same editions as those available outside the country. Further, for a newspaper man, he appears blissfully unaware that the business model in newspapers and periodicals is hardly based on the price of newsprint, and is completely driven by advertising. Express Tribune probably charges far lower cc rates than ToI/ The Hindu and therefore needs a higher subscription amount - it has nothing to do with willingness to pay. Living Media (India Today group) has doubled/ tripled periodical rates in the last couple of years with no decline in circulation.
I agree, I guess we Indians need to grow up, learn some economics.
Look we Indian have give up our Muslim history. As you done to yr Hindu past.
Interpreting Mughal painting, by Som Prakash Verma Rs535 (Rs2,760) Mughals and Franks, by Sanjay Subrahmanyam Rs338 (Rs1,545)
I support What Patel has said. We should lend support to oxford and Cambridge. If possible, they should publish low priced editions for subcontinent.
This is just not an Indian problem.
It is unthinkable for a newspaper to be priced thus in India, where most papers cost Rs2 or Rs3.
really. i think we live in different countries then. because, i pay Rs. 6 for a copy of THE HINDU, in lucknow.
and, TOI(let) paper isn't too cheap either.
even the hindi sanskran of HINDUSTAN costs Rs.4. so, who is it you are fooling.
until and unless, you are talking about those cheap tabloids which are sold at railway stations during evening.