The huge success of The Polygamist on Netflix has introduced thousands of people to author Sue Nyathi’s bestselling novel, but copyright campaigners say many readers are finding the book through illegally shared PDF copies instead of buying it.
The book, first published in 2012, has gained new attention after its Netflix adaptation.
As interest in the story grows, pirated PDF copies are being widely shared on social media and WhatsApp. Pirated printed copies have also appeared in Kenya with concerns the problem is spreading to other countries.
Chola Makgamathe, chairperson of the Copyright Coalition of South Africa and leader in Partners Against Piracy (Pap), said many people do not realise the damage caused by sharing illegal copies.
“Simply put, sharing the PDF of the text of The Polygamist, or any copyrighted work produced in print, digital or visual format, is theft and every share does incalculable damage to the African creative industry. While sharing it seems like an innocent act and appears to show support for a proudly African creative work, every person who passes on and reads the PDF document is committing a crime."
Makgamathe said writing a book takes years of hard work and supports many people, from authors and editors to publishers, booksellers and marketers. When readers choose pirated copies instead of buying a book, everyone in the chain loses.
She said piracy also puts future African stories at risk because producers often look at book sales before deciding whether to turn a novel into a film or television series. Publishers also use sales to decide whether to invest in more books from an author.
“We want more African stories, and for that we need more authors and writers to be able to dedicate time to nurturing them. We need production companies and publishers to bring them to life. We need distributors to get them into stores and onto online platforms. We need publicity and marketing teams to raise awareness of them.”
Makgamathe said readers have a responsibility to support African writers by paying for their work.
“For that to happen, we need people to stop pirating the content our creatives devote thousands of hours to creating for us to enjoy because every pirated copy, viewed or read, takes money out of the industry. As consumers, we have an ethical, moral and social responsibility to support our creatives so they can continue to tell the stories of the characters we love and take our culture to the world.”
Nyathi also appealed directly to readers to think twice before buying or sharing pirated copies.
“Writers can barely make a living from book sales alone and you buying [or sharing] a pirated copy is stealing from their livelihood. Please consider that before you buy [or share] a pirated copy. It takes years to write a book and the least you can do to support literary careers is to buy their work.”
TimesLIVE
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