Harry Potter 'illegally zapped'
2005-08-09 10:15
Manila - Copyright pirates in the Philippines have found a new way of copying the latest Harry Potter best-seller - selling the contents on computer discs in the sidestreets of the capital.
"Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince", the sixth instalment of the popular boy wizard's adventures at the Hogwarts school of magic, was released on July 16 and has been enjoying robust sales in bookshops.
In the Philippines copies have been transcribed in computer format and CDs can be purchased from street vendors for 300 to 500 pesos (5.37 to 8.95 dollars).
The discs, which can be read on any computer, sell for much less than the book which retails for about 1 500 pesos.
The Trade Department's Intellectual Property Office said they had not heard of the CDs and previously the only books being illegally copied in the Philippines were academic textbooks.