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It might seem like a kind-hearted man doing a little good for the world but it’s technically a crime. A man has been caught illegally selling digital copies of local newspapers. He is accused of hacking into Nation Medias Online Newspapers, downloading and distributing them through social media.
What Are The Risks of Distributing Online Newspapers?
If the court finds him guilty, he risks a ten-year jail term, fine or both. This is under copyright infringement law and both the distributor and recipient commit a crime when found in possession of these unauthorized digital copies.
Anyone who circumvents technical protection methods placed on digital platforms to download ePapers commits a crime.
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However, the scariest risk is the fact that these papers could be downloaded and edited to send out the wrong information. This will lead to the spread of the Misinformation virus.
Say he downloads today’s ePapers, changes a story to suit his agenda and distributes them on WhatsApp, and Telegram. Many people are likely to fall prey to this and trust the local media houses.
When we look at it from the media house point of view, they could potentially lose a lot of money from this scam. With the Coronavirus settling in Kenya and the PD going for free, it’s already very hard for these publishers to break the bank.
However, having papers gives them a digital market and platform to help them keep their business afloat. With people like this distributing their paper for free they are likely to lose a lot. Here are the charges for two of the most popular ePapers.
Daily Nation Charges
The Standard Charges
So, be mindful of what you download. If you really need to read the newspaper, subscribe to it and save everyone the trouble.
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