ELT News Think Tank

This Month's Think Tank Panel

Marc Helgesen

Peter Viney

Chris Hunt

Panelists: Peter | Marc | Chris
Date: September 2004

Topic: "Copyright - The Right to Copy?"

Copyrights and copywrongs. And lunch.

Marc Helgesen

A couple stories before I talk directly about copyright.

• At the JALT conference last fall, three of the Think Tank columnists went out to dinner. All of us were authors. There was also someone there who hadn't written books. She asked, "How long does it take to write a book?" We looked at each other and said, "It depends. Maybe two or three years." One of us added, "But remember, that's over 20 in dog years." The authors all appreciated the truth behind the joke.

• A few years ago, I edited an article for the JALT Language Teacher on getting published. The article compiled ideas and experiences for several Japan-based authors. At one point, I wrote that, if you keep track of the hours you invest in writing, a book's royalties may well work out to ¥100 an hour. One of the other authors emailed, "Your books are really doing that well?"

OK, you get that, although writing is great fun, it is also a lot of hard work. Now more directly to the issue of copyright.

"It really ain't hard to understand, If you're gonna dance, you gotta pay the band."
- Willie Nelson

We all know that teachers work hard. That's what we get paid for. Independent teachers depend on their students bringing their "gessha-bukuro" (tuition envelopes) every month. People working in eikaiwa depend on their schools paying them each month. Many ­ perhaps most ­ university teachers in Japan teach an extra class or two at a different university. That's how they supplement their income. You probably fit into one of these groups.

“I write textbooks. And when people copy my books, I'm getting ripped off.”

And, if some month you didn't get paid, you would probably be frustrated (and angry... maybe even hungry). Especially if whoever didn't pay you did so not because they didn't have the money. Imagine they did it just because they could get away without paying you.

I teach full-time at a university. I don't have classes at other schools. What I do in that time when friends and colleagues are teaching elsewhere, is write. I write textbooks. And when people copy my books, I'm getting ripped off.

We all like the safety of Japan. And the honesty. For a long time, I taught in situations were we all shared a teachers' room rather than having individual offices. I always thought I could probably leave money or other valuables sitting on my desk and no one would take them. It always seemed ironic that my co-teachers may well be leaving those things as they pass my desk on the way to the copy machine.

So, yeah, I do resent it when people copy my material. I know it isn't popular ­ and it doesn't seem populist ­ to say that, but it is true. Writing is a major part of what I do to make a living. Just as you would resent it if you got stiffed, I do, too.

I know the "but getting the ideas out there is what's important" line. Of course I want to get my ideas noticed. I think that is part of any author's motivation. That's why I do 30+ presentations and workshops every year (mostly unpaid). (So much for the idea that the author's job finishes once the book is published). I also think an important part of getting exposure for the ideas is the effort done by the teams of reps who work for my publishers. When books are copied, publishers don't get income. Who's going to pay the reps?

Of course, I don't think I need to get paid for everything I do. Like most authors, I put a lot of extras, such as photocopiables, in the Teachers' Manual and on my website (www.efcafe.com). Anyone is welcome to use them.

But I do hope teachers realize that unauthorized photocopying is stealing. Of course, it is unlikely that individual teachers will get into trouble over copying, although schools sometimes do. I'm being very straight forward in this column, but I don't think anyone wants to act the heavy. I think (like most parts of life), education and awareness is the answer. That's why, a few years ago, I did a poster which publishers in Japan used to raise awareness. Here's an updated version.

Peter points out that there need to be limits to ensure the overall good. It would be wrong to patent DNA. Governments should have the right to provide drugs for AIDS and other diseases. Drug companies need to cooperate. Life isn't and shouldn't be all about money. Education either. I was quite proud of Longman for sending a team of four authors to Laos TESOL last winter to do teacher development workshops, even though they know that the Laos economy is a basket case and no one will be buying books there for a long time. We went there to help the teachers.

Peter mentioned the situation in very poor countries. As a classroom teacher, one thing I do is collect my students' used textbooks at the end of the year. I mail them to teachers in poor countries like Laos and Vietnam (the first address listed below is for a teacher at a new university in Laos. The government was able to afford the buildings ­ but there was no money for books). If you decide to invite your students to recycle their books this way, be sure to send them in an "international book bag" (Tokubetsu yutai insatsubutsu). It is still expensive (about ¥10,000 to mail 50 textbooks) but much cheaper than regular mail. I encourage my students to write a message to the book's new owner and include their email address.

If you are interested in sending books, here are a couple addresses:

Prof. Phonesavanh Bilavarn English Department Souphanouvong University Munluk R Nasangveuy V Luang Probang, P Lao P.D.R. P.O. Box 1187

Prof. Tran Van Phuoc Vietnam Book Donation Project Khoa Anh Van Truong Dai Hoc Su Pham Hue 34 Le Loi, Thanh pho Hue VIETNAM

The teachers and students will really appreciate what you are doing.

Panelists: Peter | Marc | Chris

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Marc Helgesen, Miyagi Gakuin Women's College

Co-author of English Firsthand and Active Listening

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