A pirated edition refers to an unauthorized copy or reprint of a book without the copyright holder’s permission. Most are of low quality, riddled with typos and other errors, and are priced well below the cost of the original book.
A pirated copy is an illegal, unsanctioned reproduction of a book or other work. In many countries, it is considered a form of copyright infringement for which the offender may be sentenced to jail. Pirate editions are generally of lesser quality since they are produced without the consent of copyright holders. This also causes a problem for readers and the copyright holder—confusion leads to lost sales.
Pirating is merely a tool to sell the book without paying for the copyright. People or companies do this in countries where the copyright laws are not well enforced.
From browsing online marketplaces to stalls in the street to some brick-and-mortar stores, pirated editions are prevalent. The cost of such editions is always much cheaper than for officially published copies.
Also, the preparation and sale of pirated editions is a form of copyright infringement. Almost everywhere, it is illegal and subject to civil and criminal punishment.
The influence of pirated editions on the book trade is vast. These copies siphon off some of the revenues that otherwise would have gone to publishers and authors. Furthermore, pirated editions cannot improve a book’s overall reputation.
Illegal editions have their place in the book trade, of course. They also allow people to read books that they would otherwise never be likely to purchase. They would also help get books to the common folk. Though pirated editions are not the ideal means of reading books, they have a role to play in the publishing business.