Saturday, February 11, 2006

DIGITAL PUBLISHING SUCCESS LIES IN RESPECT FOR COPYRIGHT: PUBLISHERS

Taipei, Feb. 10 (CNA) The success of digital publishing requires respect for copyright by the public, the development of a "killer application" and the cooperation of government, enterprises and academia, publishers said Friday on the sidelines of the Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE).

"Obviously, digital publishing is a future trend that every country is working on at the moment, " said Felix Chu, president of Transmission Books & Microinfo Co., Ltd., a company that focuses on digital publications.

"The success of digital publishing ultimately lies in the public's respect for copyright, " Chu said. "With the technology nowadays, you can duplicate and distribute anything in the blink of an eye. Piracy can hurt any business related to digital content."

For digital publishing to be successful, people also have to change the misconception that they can get any information for free, Chu said. "Although well-known portal Web sites such as Google and Yahoo are trying to provide as much free digital content on the Internet as possible, they still have to deal with the copyright issue. Someday you have to pay for information you need, " Chu said.

Asked about the future for hard copy publications, he said: "Paper format will be there forever, as some people still love the feel of holding a book in their hands, " said Yvonne Huang, marketing specialist of ANiceBook Company.

"But we are exploring all the possibilities of digital publishing. If we can cut the cost of digital publishing, which is still pretty high right now, I believe the future will be bright. Paper and digital formats will co-exist harmoniously, " Huang said.

The most common file format used by digital publishing now is the PDF format, while the reading software and devices vary. "When a 'killer app' does come out and a more efficient file format is agreed upon globally, it will take the digital publishing business by storm," Chu predicted.

Taiwan's digital publishing, however, "did not ride on the back of the booming success of Taiwan's information technology, " Chu said. He urged the government to provide more help for small- and medium-sized enterprises in the digital publishing field.

TIBE, an annual book exhibition, is held at the Taipei World Trade Center. It will close Sunday after a six-day run.