Illegal to take photos of covers within bookstores?

[MasPan]

YOU BEST pineappleING SAY YOU WENT TO SUPER POTATO! ILL STAB A peach!

Haven't yet, but I can. It's not hard for me to get there, takes about 70 minutes by train total.

[Devil]

Well, since you're IN the bookstore, they can forbid you anything inside, they can even "force" you out the bookstore if they wanted to, since it's theirs.

So no, it's not illegal, but since the building is theirs, they can forbid you taking photos.

Also, taking photos in a shop isn't something owners like, since you could be planning a robbery and look for exit roots with photos back home, etc, etc. ;)

[Rhayn]

I've noticed this in a lot of Asia that I've visited so far. Stores seem to have a weird fear of cameras. Everything from figurine shops in Akihibara to a Magic the Gathering store I found in Hong Kong had a little "No camera" symbol on the glass display cases. I think they're either really touchy about people comparing prices (or possibly a competitor spying on them) or privacy of some sort. *Shrug*

It could be that they're afraid you'll use the photos to make counterfeit stuff, or (in the more shifty areas) they *are* selling counterfeit stuff and afraid you're gathering evidence to bust them.

[MasPan]

It could be that they're afraid you'll use the photos to make counterfeit stuff, or (in the more shifty areas) they *are* selling counterfeit stuff and afraid you're gathering evidence to bust them.

Nah, it's just a cultural thing.