Traditional publishers seeks copyright protection

With rapid development of internet technologies, traditional publishers are vying to get into the digital publishing business to keep their competitiveness. But the same technology has also made this industry vulnerable to various sorts of copyright theft.

It used to be that content was the only thing that matters to readers. But in this digital world, it is not only what they read, but also how they read it makes the difference. Publishers around the world are transforming themselves to meet the increasing demand in digital reading.

"Digital publishing is a path that traditional publishers must tread. It is not a matter of choice, those who do not go digital will go out of business," Yao Wenrui, President of Shandong Friendship Publishing House, said.

But the road is not always easy.

The digital publishing platform takes much investment to build. And transforming paper books into digital ones will put the publishers and writers at greater risks of copyright theft.

"Copyright is important for not only publishers but all players in this industry. It is our lifeline and the foundation of digital publishing. Without copyright, digital publishing will be just empty talk," Yao said.

That is why Mr. Yao's publishing house has hired on an IT company to develop an online protection platform. It looks out for anyone who tries to steal their ideas.

"Our online platform of digital copyright protection is a system where the creators including the publishers can register their copyright anywhere, anytime without going to the copyright bureau. You can get a copyright certificate just by clicking the mouse," Sarah Wang, CEO of Beijing Read Digital Science & Technology Co., said

Sarah Wang's technology has greatly boosted the confidence of transitioning publishers like Mr. Yao's. Once copyright is secured, he'll have no hesitation in investing more to speed up his business.

"As long as you have registered your copyright and got the certificate, you will receive warnings immediately through our platform whenever your copyright is stolen," Yao said.

At a time when almost everything can be done online, going digital will be a battle worth fighting. And only those fully prepared, get the upper hand.

CCTV reporter Liu Xinqing said, "Tighter regulations mean there will be fewer free rides in the future. With more and more readers moving from the store to the screen, they will also be required to pay for many of the books they read online. Authorities say, this is the only way to motivate the publishers to invest more in creativity."