The Cultural Heritage and Tourism Ministry’s copyright crime forensic squad has sent three members of an organization that illegally scanned and reproduced books that are out of print to the prosecution. This case marks the first detection of illegal distribution of out-of-print humanities books through unauthorized reproduction.
According to the investigation, the main perpetrator began their acts in 2020, taking advantage of the fact that out-of-print books were trading at high prices in second-hand markets. They collaborated with scan and copy shops near university campuses and divided roles with accomplices to systematically infringe copyright by accepting orders via online shopping malls and then delivering the reproduced books.
The books distributed illegally amounted to 275 types of out-of-print humanities books, totaling around 26,700 volumes. The damage, based on the official price, is estimated at approximately 1.18 billion won, while the unjust profits earned from illegal sales are estimated at about 750 million won. Some books had official prices of only 12,000 won but were traded for as much as 340,000 won in the second-hand market, and the perpetrators had them reproduced and sold for around 20,000 won, causing damage both to copyright holders and consumers.
This investigation was initiated based on a report received by the ‘Illegal Copy Report Center (COPY112)’ operated by the Korea Copyright Protection Agency. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the copyright protection agency gathered and analyzed information from the report to identify the location of the crime and then launched an investigation. Digital forensic techniques helped prove the method, scale of the crime, and the relationship among accomplices through analysis of electronic records.
Taking this case as an opportunity, the Ministry plans to widen the scope of illegal reproduction crackdowns from primarily university areas to online shopping malls and second-hand distribution channels. According to the Copyright Act, books are protected for 70 years from the date of publication, regardless of whether they are out of print. Therefore, to legally use out-of-print books, electronic book reading services or limited copying services (up to one-third of the book, with compensation) provided by public libraries should be utilized.
Jeong Hyang-mi, Director of Copyright Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, “This investigation is an achievement through public-private cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, copyright protection agency, and the Korea Publishing Association. We will continue to strengthen crackdowns and investigations to eradicate illegal distribution and expand copyright protection activities.”