HBP security tight in Sri Lanka
 

Lanka Business Online has compared the 'Half-Blood Prince' security measures to that of the United Nations, saying arrangements for UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan were relatively low-key in comparison to the arrival of the sixth Potter book.

The article also highlights issues concerning the last book release, stating that only 8,000 copies of 'Order of the Phoenix' were sold in Sri Lanka due to security leaks and piracy.

"After the first 100,000 copies were sold at the launch, they couldn’t sell any more because cheaper pirate copies flooded the market," says Shan Rajaguru CEO, Inscript Pvt Ltd – the Sri Lankan agent for Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury.

"It wasn’t so bad in Sri Lanka because the English book market is very small and the book itself was large - over 600 pages. So the cost of printing pirate copies was higher but they had no market to recover the cost," says Rajaguru.

Only 8 importers, that have done business with Bloomsbury before, are able to get the Potter books.

"And that is also only one week before the release date of July 16," says Shan.

Source: Mugglenet

I could not see myself buying a pirate copy...

But wow HBP sure is something...

OMG!
This really is big...

There are alot of pirated copies sold here in India too. But I'm gonna buy the original. Wow! but thats really tight security!!

^ That's interesting. It did say in the rest of the article that fraud and piracy is a bigger issue in India than Sri Lanka.

Oh! Definetly! There's alot of piracy over here. I mean, if the original costs 850 bukcs the pirated one will cost about 100 bucks and they sell it on the road side and sometimes even in proper shops. I think half the people here own pirated HP books...

You are talking to a guy who doesn't have a single HP book on him. Why do I need it ? I know it off by heart !!!
Privacy is so bad here - all the five HP books can be bought for a sum of 400 bucks here (pirated) - that's about 10 US dollars, a bit lesser actually.

Ottery is a super otter ninja boy hero...just let me at 'em...
 

Just wondering but since India's bigger could that be a reason too? *runs for cover*

Piracy is wrong...if you're a 'real' fan of JKR you wouldn't buy pirated copies...now if you lived in some country were the book was banned...then it's okay...*winks* but if you meet JKR on the street you could at least give her the cost of the book...

*to the Sri Lankan authorities* If you all are in need of a super ninja security otter...I know of one...;)

It'll just cost you a peek at the book...:ninja: oh and the plane fare...one ways cool...

it really is! you get is for lesser than 400 here in Mumbai. it's really bad. But there are some real hard core fans who, maybe, can't afford the books but really want their own copy so they'll buy the paperback or pirated copies. The first fours books of mine are paperback. Because my mom had got it when i was small and she though I may not read it. but I'm planning on buys all original copies. I'm saving up for that and in time , i will buy it...

You're a genius!

That's what I was thinking. Inflation in some countries is so bad that buying pirated copies may be the only way if it's significantly cheaper, if families struggle enough as it is to buy the basics in life.

HP is released in hardback and then paperback months later. Not all paperbacks are pirated but some are.

Let's count the no.of HP fans from Srilanka and India here and it'll give us a reason.

People here in India, even the filthy rich ones, prefer to buy the pirated versions. Most people don't respect the books - they just wanna read it at the lowest rate possible. You give them a couple of hours and they'll sit and read it in a bookstore itself without purchasing it !

Well, does paperback count as pirated? well, if it is I'm guilty of buying a pirated one! :blush: But technically, i didn't buy it. I didn't even care about harry Potter and my mom just got it thinking that I will ,someday, read it. And by that time four books had realeased. but my fifth and definately sixth books are/will be original, hardcover ones..

That's down to the shopkeepers. I know I get told off for flicking through magazines without buying them so how anyone could stand for hours and read and get away with it, is beyond my understanding.

That could be the reason. But I think it is because there is a high demand here
in India by children for Potter books & not all of them can afford it!!

well then, i don't think mine are pirated because there is no defect what so ever and my mom got the books , like, years after the first four books were realeased,so..

O yes! I'v seen many people do that! In some stores here, there have started coffee shops and people can just pick up a book from the shop and read the whole thing without even buying it!

It's different in South Asian countries - we have got long and dark bookshops with no surveillance, sometimes only one staff, sitting at a counter reading a magazine from his own store ! :lmao:
You should really see the scenes here. Anyway, I'm saving up for a hardback. The last book cost us 795 bucks. So I expect this one is going to cost more - around 800-900 bucks. But we get schemes here - like if you book in advance, then you get a 25% discount or something. And we even have lucky draws where we can win the books for free !

I have a few friends who have borrowed and read my books because:
1) Their parents don't allow them to get the book as they think its a waste of time and money.
2) They just can't afford it.

Some of them like it so much that they are tempted to but the pirated version and they do!

Chances are, they're genuine then.

Are you sure those aren't coffee shops? We have books in our coffee shops and visitors are welcome to read them for hours on end so long as they purchase something.

Ottery...the moral compass at SS...Do what I say I'm your conscience and I'm watching
 

So you're the one who always ruins my copies of Movie Magic...LOL...and thank you for realizing my genius Marcella...*winks*

Just remember if you see her on the street...you have to give her the money for the first four books...she's got kids to feed...

But seriously if you're going to pirate...pirate CD's now those are over priced and most of the songs end up being bad anyways...book though are sacred...

I dont mind the price coz my daddy dearest will be buying the book for me! I made him read the books and now he's a crazr fan too.Now, we're fighting over who will read the book first. But, ofcourse, I will!

That's international, we all get discounted books for pre-ordering and bonuses and special offers etc...

100% Sure. The piracy purchase is also going on because parents won't buy children the books - like cutestar said - many parents discourage children from getting into "non-sense" like Harry Potter. They'll get you an encyclopaedia worth 200 bucks, but they simply refuse to get you HP books.

No, its the other way around! The bookstores have coffee shops! *cough-crossword-cough*

At first even I did that cause my parents wouldn't let me buy the books.
They thought I wouldn't find it interesting so why waste so much money. So I borrowed the first book from my friend. When they saw that I was hooked to it they bought me my own copies!!(not pirated ones)

& now I'm the one whose lending my books to my cousin!!!

LOL You're like the comical genius of SS, seriously.

I would do ... if we got Movie Magic *cries*

She's got millions to feed them with. lol

Ottery, speaking it like it is.