Foreign businesses lose an estimated $500 million to piracy in India every year, according to BBC News.

The counterfeit market is in full display at traffic intersections in cities across India.

Barefooted lads aged between 10 and 20 dodge oncoming traffic, carrying stacks of counterfeit books to sell to passengers.

One of the counterfeit booksellers is 12-year-old Akash.

He hid his face behind a fake copy of Khaled Hosseini’s latest novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, to avoid being recognised by family and friends.

He is well aware that the books he is selling are illegal, even going so far as to say that I could get a much cheaper bargain if I bought a whole lot all together.

More information available at our Counterfeit and Piracy page.