I was quoted yesterday <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/mar/10/authors-book-piracy-cost" target="_blank">in an interesting Guardian article</a> on book theft (aka 'piracy' or if you really want to stretch your credibility 'file sharing'... sigh). This has generated lots of interesting comments on the Guardian site, and a lively debate on Twitter.

Interesting to see the book thieves trotting out the same limited arguments... it's because ebooks are more expensive than print ones (no they're not), it's because I hate big business publishers (as if they're the only ones who lose), it's not really stealing (but yes actually, it is).

Here's one interesting thing that came from an eagle-eyed Twitter user (I would give her credit here but I don't know if she'd want her name on the site): a report by the US International Intellectual Property Alliance to the US Trade Representative. It's incredibly long and detailed, the full document below if you want to read it. But here's something from page seventeen, one more reason why we should call this business by its real name -- criminal theft -- not pretend we're dealing with Johnny Depp in mascara.

It is real crime and it involves real criminals. The quotes here are old and primarily refer to DVDs. But is it such a stretch of the imagination to think the new 'pay us a subscription and get all the free books, music and software you want' sites aren't part of the same game?

Here's what IIPA have to say (page 17)...

<!-- p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Arial Narrow'} span.s1 {font: 7.0px 'Arial Narrow'} -->Because of the immense profits that can be garnered by producing pirate optical disc products, this illegal business has been taken over in many countries by organized crime syndicates, making it even more difficult for local authorities to combat the problem. These criminal syndicates are highly organized, are linked across national boundaries, and have powerful friends within governments. They control large amounts of capital, and exploit complex distribution networks.

The kinds of large-scale piracy operations run by syndicates are a global threat, as the lucrative funds from piracy fund other illegal activities, like drug trafficking, gun running and even terrorism. Some of these syndicates operate worldwide. For example, syndicates with optical disc production facilities in Southeast Asia work with partners in South America to conduct a thriving trans-Pacific trade in pirate music CDs, entertainment software, and other optical disc products. These criminal networks are highly sophisticated and are becoming increasingly dangerous to deal with. Starting in 2003, many syndicates began moving their illegal trade into local CD-R and DVD-R “burning” and to the Internet in response to improved local enforcement against factory pirate production.

In an October 2005 study by MPA, it was reported that the estimated criminal revenue in 2004 for IPR theft was $512 billion, while for drug trafficking it was $322 billion.6 The same study also demonstrated that the mark-up for DVD piracy is higher than that for cocaine and heroine, with the risk of getting caught and receiving deterrent punishment significantly less.7 A March 2009 study by the RAND Corporation further explored the linkages between organized crime and film piracy detailing 14 case studies of film piracy, providing compelling evidence of a broad, geographically dispersed and continuing connection between piracy and organized crime. As well as documenting cases in North America and Europe, the report outlines the involvement of organized crime with film piracy in South America, Russia and many parts of Asia.8