PDI Uncovers Over 37,000 Pirated Books in Santiago’s San Diego Street Amid Rising Organized Crime Concerns

Original article: PDI decomisa más de 37 mil libros piratas en calle San Diego de Santiago: Corporación del Libro y la Lectura advierte presencia de grupos criminales organizados

The Intellectual Property Crimes Investigation Brigade (Bridepi), part of the PDI, conducted an operation on Thursday, March 26th, resulting in the seizure of more than 37,377 pirated books valued at approximately CLP 1,495,080,000.

This action took place at three commercial establishments located in the San Diego Commercial Gallery, situated on the street of the same name in Santiago.

According to reports, the operation was ordered by the Pudahuel Local Prosecutor’s Office following a complaint from member publishers of the Book and Reading Corporation, along with Alessandri Abogados, who identified the pirated books being sold in the mentioned gallery.

After the seizure was completed, Sebastián Rodríguez-Peña, president of the Book and Reading Corporation, stated that «unfortunately, the pirate book mafia persists over time, directly affecting the work of authors, illustrators, designers, booksellers, and other related fields.»

Rodríguez-Peña added, «Let’s be clear: piracy in Chile is a crime committed by organized criminal groups, just like in any other industry. In fact, in recent years, the confiscation of illegally produced books has reached approximately 400,000 copies.»

He expressed concern that this is a situation «that goes beyond the book and culture world; it is a serious security issue, involving potential tax crimes and infringement of copyright rights, among other aspects. We hope the authorities can advance in increasing the penalties, which are currently very low, to send clear signals against these crimes.»

Meanwhile, Hernán Torres, lawyer from Alessandri Abogados, detailed that the material «was seized as part of an investigation for alleged violations of Law No. 17,336 on Intellectual Property, concerning the unauthorized reproduction and commercialization of protected works.»

«Such conduct,» the lawyer reminded, «constitutes an offense that infringes the copyright rights of the various affected rights holders, with identifiable liabilities in both civil and criminal domains, based on the evidence gathered and considering the possible recurrence of the investigated behaviors.»

The lawyer announced that «relevant judicial actions will be evaluated to effectively protect the infringed rights and fully repair the damage caused.»

Finally, it was reported that two individuals were arrested during the operation: a foreign woman in an irregular situation and a Chilean man, both without prior records, for the flagrant crime of violation of Intellectual Property Law.

We will continue to provide updates.

Operation photos: Police Investigations.