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TechnographTextbook piracy has arrived
By Staff editorial, The Indiana Daily Student (Indiana University)
Posted: 7/15/08 Section: Opinion Columns
If anything, we see textbook piracy only increasing if the publishing companies head down the road of changing their materials more often. The constant republishing and high prices have pushed consumers towards illegal activity already, we can only imagine the results if these steps are taken.
If versions get changed more often, bookstores won't buy back last semester's textbooks. The prospect of losing even more money on books might push even more people towards piracy.
The textbook brain trust should sit down and hash out a long-term plan of attack against online piracy.
If webmasters can upload PDFs of books, there is no reason why the companies couldn't do the same. Why not provide digital formats of books at a slightly discounted price?
Even better, they could create an online store that sells the most popular books by chapter or section, much like iTunes and others have done with music.
If the textbook companies have their way, things could get much worse for students. However, there are solutions that could keep prices down and everyone happy. Because no one wants the pirates to win.
If versions get changed more often, bookstores won't buy back last semester's textbooks. The prospect of losing even more money on books might push even more people towards piracy.
The textbook brain trust should sit down and hash out a long-term plan of attack against online piracy.
If webmasters can upload PDFs of books, there is no reason why the companies couldn't do the same. Why not provide digital formats of books at a slightly discounted price?
Even better, they could create an online store that sells the most popular books by chapter or section, much like iTunes and others have done with music.
If the textbook companies have their way, things could get much worse for students. However, there are solutions that could keep prices down and everyone happy. Because no one wants the pirates to win.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 16
Brandon Galbraith
posted 7/15/08 @ 3:54 PM CST
Perhaps professors should move toward using open coursework, instead of requiring students to mortgage their lives away for textbooks every semester. For someone who has already done it well, check out MIT's Open Courseware: http://ocw. (Continued…)
datdamwuf
posted 7/15/08 @ 4:00 PM CST
Slightly decreased prices? The companies that publish these books have over priced them for many years because they know Students have no choice but to pay. (Continued…)
S Lam
posted 7/15/08 @ 4:25 PM CST
Copying textbooks isn't new, photocoping very expensive textbooks was common when I went through University. Even buying knock-offs from Asia was common!
There's a very simple way of fighting textbook piracy. (Continued…)
Just an Idea
posted 7/15/08 @ 5:59 PM CST
Has anyone ever thought of the possibility of NOT requiring students to purchase the new slightly altered editions? Why not just keep using the old editions until it becomes useful to update the edition?
Exasperated Student
posted 7/15/08 @ 6:33 PM CST
Speaking as a current student I'm personally 100% for being able to download textbooks. As college curriculums become increasingly more electronically based it seems ludicrous to fork over $250 for a single textbook that I'll end up using less than ten times throughout the semester. (Continued…)
Vice Magnet
posted 7/16/08 @ 12:27 AM CST
Last time I checked, the tuition for the class was more than the cost of the book. In response to Just An Idea, it is an idea your professors largely reject because it means their academic freedom is compromised. (Continued…)
shdwsclan
posted 7/16/08 @ 3:13 AM CST
(1) Publishers of textbooks are ripping off American students....badly in the first place. Look how cheap the international hardcovers are......
(2) Little money is ever passed on to the authors
(3) Book A version 1 costs $199. (Continued…)
Bored with ill-researched rants
posted 7/16/08 @ 9:54 AM CST
If the person who wrote this bothered to do any research at all about the subject, he/she may have noticed one major textbook publishing company is selling books on a per chapter basis. (Continued…)
sdevine
Sean Devine
posted 7/16/08 @ 8:25 PM CST
We agree with the editorial perspective that publishers should offer their textbooks in electronic form in an online store where students can have the option of getting eTextbooks at savings. (Continued…)
K. Richardson
posted 9/12/08 @ 10:18 AM CST
This article is referenced in Wikipedia's "Book scanning" article. Considering deleting the link, I was surprised at the relevance and intelligence (and at the quality of the comments, for that matter). (Continued…)
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