How to know your book is original or pirated

For many of us, buying books is not as easy as buying clothes. Of course, there's emotional attachment while shopping for both. However, we look for the quality, colors, price, and 'Ispe toh dil aagaya' factor while buying clothes. But, when it comes to books, there's an additional element. PIRACY! Readers pine to touch and smell their favorite books. Imagine paying the full amount and letting your excitement bubble out from your eyes when you receive your most awaited book. How crushed will many of us be to discover that it's a pirated book? Paying the price of an original and receiving a pirated copy is a bummer. Even if you aren't an avid reader, imagine gifting your loved ones a pirated book. How embarrassed will you be? Some readers prefer original at all times. Also, some readers choose pirated books, just because it's easy on our pockets. Irrespective of what kind of reader you are, or even if you aren't one, this article is a must-read. Here are our few tips to help you with how to know your book is original or pirated.
Firstly,

1)Look for the book cover to know if your book is original or pirated.

If you want to distinguish pirated books from the original ones, start judging a book by it's cover! No, we are not kidding. Many books show clear signs of piracy in the cover itself. The front covers of these pirated books look light and dull. At times, they appear as photocopied. They don't look old and worn out necessarily. They somehow don't have the shine of the original ones. Also, the cover quality will be two-bit. And, it won't be a thick, tight one. It feels lean and thin when touched.

2) Look for the size of the book.

When it comes to books, size matters! Many pirated books are short in height, as opposed to the original ones. The size can help you spot them right away. Checking out the size is the easiest way to identify a pirated copy. But, there's this thing called smart piracy, which will make it difficult for you to identify. Some pirated books match the height of the original ones. You can pinpoint them in other ways.

3)Look for the pages of the book to distinguish between original and pirated books.

When the size matches the original, you can look for what's inside! Pages of these pirated copies will be of cheap quality. At times, they might feel rough when touched. And, if you turn through the pages, you might find a few blank ones too! This method will surely help you distinguish.

4)Look for the text

Pirated copies will have defective printing. Their print may overlap. There can be missing text. And, many times, there are clear signs of a photocopy. The printing ink will give you a clear indication. This ink can smudge when you drag a wet finger over it. When you compare the pirated text to the original one, you will see the difference in their inks.

5)Look for the title of the book.

The titles of many original books are slightly embossed and glossy. But, the pirated books can have dull titles with no embossing. Try running your finger over the title of the book. If it looks like the rest of the cover and doesn't feel embossed, the book can be a pirated one. However, this way is efficient only for books that have shiny embossed titles. The alignment of the title and other elements on the cover will also help you identify. Pirated books will have a slight defect in the alignment of its title or publication name. It might appear improperly aligned, inclining to the corner of sides of the book for the matter.

6)Look for the missing elements to tell if your book is original or pirated

When there is smart piracy. These little elements can help you a lot. Factors like a photograph of the author, publication name and county, barcode, and so on. Pirated books will miss some or many of these elements. Even if they are present, they might differ in alignment. Many pirated books will not have a preface or an acknowledgment page. Moreover, they might lack the contents page and the initial pages that are in the original.

Lastly, smell the book! Pirated books might not have the fragrance of the original. All these points might not be in your pirated copy. But, we are sure there will be some points, if not all of them, to help you distinguish.
We hope you enjoyed reading how to know your book is original or pirated.