Photocopies, democratizing piracy ??

A few days ago Iván Thays surveyed in Literary Moleskine, with the question "Do you agree on the use of photocopies for 'democratizing culture'?" From Knowledge-goods article published by Rocío Silva Santisteban in Lima newspaper La República and reproduced on his blog. At that, Silva Santisteban reflects on the origin of printing (cheaper and therefore democratize access to books, ie, learning), and on the current state of book prices, converted into knowledge-commodity to conclude in a eulogy to photocopy democratizing contemporary method. Which reminded me that one of the central issues for Latin American publisher is hacking and, within it, the illegal reproduction, ie the unauthorized photocopying. It is clear that the illegal reproduction is a form of piracy for copyright violation, although, unlike the pirated editions, who 'pirate' the book to photocopy it, market it seeks not only benefit from reading (this is valid for reader, but not for those who own and / or photocopying books working in Latin American universities, for example).On the general subject of piracy in Latin America, I think it is interesting to review the second issue of Thinking CERLALC book, I hope comment extensively on another occasion, and the impact of illegal photocopying in the publishing industry is an interesting Paper presented at the last Book Fair of Bogota, but back to the important discussion raised by Rocío Silva: photocopy democratizes access to reading?With regard to photocopying of books and reading democratization would make us a series of questions: Who photocopied books? What books are photocopied? and, mainly, why are photocopied books? I think that, in general, those photocopied books are university students, researchers, students, ie people with some training as readers, most of which are photocopied books to specialized books difficult movement, made for minorities (scientific community) and that, finally, are photocopied because they are in public libraries or bookstores, or are very expensive, but they are necessary or important to the reader that the photocopy. So far, the photocopying of course, plausible. No photocopied readings is missing important training. The problem is that those affected by the illegal reproduction are editors, ie fund managers and disseminate such books, usually scientific or independent publishers. Therefore, it will be increasingly difficult for them to edit these kinds of books, which, when published will be increasingly less expensive and circulate, etc..In summary, it appears that not photocopy books democratizes access to reading in general, but a reading specialist. About photocopied books and reading. It may be true that, as Silva Santisteban: "Peruvian children are in the highest range of people who do not understand what they read and, as claimed by one of the most conspicuous black harbingers of postmodernism, Giovanni Sartori, they will be turning in homo videns, unable to develop critical thinking. sheep for dictatorships and mythic truths-late capitalism ", however, does not seem to them that benefits the illegal reproduction (although other types of piracy).The apparently illegal reproduction originate in a problem of access to scholarly literature, many readers photocopying resolved at the expense of publishers. Criminalizing illegal reprographics not benefit publishers (because readers would still access the books currently photocopied) but hurt the readers. In between, are the owners of photocopiers that benefit the business while out on the roadside, the State ignores the problem, when it is their responsibility, not criminalize the photocopy, but facilitate photocopiable books are available to readers, whether through public libraries and / or university, or in bookstores at affordable prices, or both. Or encouraging, as in some countries and it would be great to happen in Peru, the proper functioning of reprographic companies, institutions devoted to regulate the use of photocopying of books so the reader has access to the necessary books and the editor (and the author) receive some royalties for it.I leave this link to one of the most interesting companies I know reprographic: Kopinor, and this other CEDRO, the Spanish Reproduction Rights Center.