Penguin India-Bloomsbury to check Piracy of latest potter novel

Bangalore, July 13 (UNI) Garnering a huge advance booking of 240,000 copies of the final instalment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Death Gallows, Penguin India and Bloomsbury have take a joint initiative to curb sale and distribution of the pirated version of J K Rowling's latest book to be released on July 21.

Penguin India in a release here said stringent measures have been put in place to check sale and distribution of the new Harry Potter book. It said a legal team has been commissioned to prevent copies of the new book being pirated on publication. The firm Aca-law would closely work with the police to counter piracy for the new Harry Potter. Vigilance cells would also be set up, besides a 24-hour help line, to ensure immediate action against any case of piracy being reported, the release said.

Mr Akash Chittranshi, head of Aca-law said police in various Indian cities have been requested to take steps and maintain vigil to prevent the piracy of Harry potter and the Deathly Hallows. In addition the services of leading IP Investigators IP-Boutique has been retained to keep a watch on known offenders and priate business locations, the release said. Criminal cases would be initiated against business and persons found organising and dealing in piracy of the book. Indian Copyright law was very stringent as far as enforcement was concerned, he said adding that any person found dealing in pirated copy could be arrested and charged with an offence of infringement of copyright, which is punishable with imprisonment for upto three years and fine.

Book piracy was a major malaise faced by the publishing industry in India, Penguin India said.

UNI