To raise awareness on the growing menace of book piracy, Penguin Random House India has launched a campaign with the support of many of its authors.

The publishing house has also introduced a new tool, developed in collaboration with anti-piracy service provider Link-Busters, to report instances of digital book piracy.

The initiative is a part of Penguin's ongoing efforts to fight book piracy and promote respect for intellectual property rights. By leveraging the power of social media and technology, the campaign hopes to raise awareness about the issue and encourage readers to support authors and publishers by purchasing books legally, a statement said.

Led by the hashtag #SayNoToBookPiracy, this campaign was launched ahead of UNESCO's World Book and Copyright Day celebrated every year on April 23.

Several authors including Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, Anand Neelakantan, Meghna Pant and Novoneel Chakraborty have come together to highlight the time and effort that goes into the publication of a book and the harmful effect of piracy that not only leads to a violation of copyright but also causes financial losses for the author and other stakeholders in the value chain, thereby lowering the standards of publishing for the entire country.

The anti-piracy tool will enable individuals to report suspicious links to the publisher's website, which will be verified and acted upon where necessary. Users will receive a confirmation email from Link-Busters, which will be followed up with confirmation of the action taken, where appropriate, the statement said.

Speaking about the campaign, Penguin Random House India CEO Gaurav Shrinagesh said, "Penguin's #SayNoToBookPiracy campaign will encourage readers to take a stand to preserve the sanctity of the effort that goes into the publishing of a written work.

"Pirated copies may be cheaper and perhaps even easier to obtain, but it is important to acknowledge that their overall impact on the industry will ultimately devalue a publisher's ability to invest in authors and new books, the author's rights to protect their intellectual property, and all other stakeholders who invest heavily in ensuring the discoverability and reach of the books." PTI ZMN BK BK

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