I hope you can provide evidence, like statistical information and a source, so that we know that piracy is not as bad as the Chronicle article states. Otherwise, we will have to accept such evidence.
I agree with reprinting. Unfortunately, more publishers are reluctant in allowing reprints because they believe that Filipinos can afford to buy originals and reprints have been offered for too long a time.
Also, the analogy is not that exact. Several local buyers insist on getting R3s that have the same features as R1s and at lower prices, but that is not the case all of the time. I've noticed that in several cases, there are not enough titles available locally, the features are lacking for R3s, or worse, the image is substandard in quality.
The situation is worse for reprints. Reprints use cheap newsprint, black and white images, poor binding (mostly glue and cheap tack board), and often involve old editions. They also don't include instructor's manuals, multimedia materials, CD-ROMs, and other products needed together with the textbook.
Also, I think publishers are increasingly reluctant in allowing reprints. That's why they will offer only older editions, and allow reprints only for selected titles. (Notice that movie producers do the same thing for R3s.)
Finally, from what I know, R1s are mostly sold in the Philippines illegally, and only because there is no R3 counterpart. That is why most have no VRB stickers (which make them smuggled if sold for a profit), and most sellers will not replace the product sold if it is defective. Also, I'm not sure if sellers with stores register their business or pay taxes.
The only two ways of getting R1s, then, is to buy them from local stores that have VRB stickers or to order them from abroad (which will cost a lot of money, given freight and probably duties).
Textbook (and all kinds of books, for that matter) piracy are not that rampant, though the Phils (they say) is number in it. But we should consider the fact that foreign publishers, in order to minimize book piracy, permit their publications to be REPRINTED in Asian countries like the Phils., Singapore, India, etc., for them to be able to still get some of the royalties from these publications. They do not simply let their publications be distributed locally by local publishers, but they let them be republished here using cheaper materials and at the same time the cost of shipping actual books are removed.
I say that this should be the case to foreign, especially Hollywood DVDs. Though there are the R3 editions of such, it will certainly bring the price of DVDs to extremely low level if we will be able to re-published them here in the Phils. using cheaper but not necessarily low-class materials. In this case, everybody will be happy! And no one's will be at a losing end!
