4 to stand trial for 'severe' book piracy

Four people will stand trial in connection to a book piracy case involving nearly 100,000 pirated copies of textbooks, according to Hongkou District People’s Procuratorate.

One of them, a man surnamed Zhang who ran an online bookstore, received an order of 20,000 volumes of Chinese textbook “Ri You Suo Song” between June and July in 2017. Instead of purchasing genuine copies of the book from the publisher, Zhang conspired with his brother and found a printing workshop to illegally print them, prosecutors said.

Police received a tip-off and busted the printing workshop, where they seized 22,026 pirated copies of “Ri You Suo Song” and another 77,000 pirated copies of other textbooks. The two brothers and the company’s two operators were arrested, prosecutors said.

According to China’s Criminal Law, people who print more than 2,500 pirated copies of a book are considered "severe" offenders, who could face a jail term of at least three years.

Since the two Zhang brothers have offered compensation to the publisher of “Ri You Suo Yong,” they may be granted lighter sentences, prosecutors said.

It has not been decided when the trial will begin.