August 12, 2005 12:28 PM PDT
Publishers loosen rules on e-textbooks
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The pilot project, which will see textbooks sold in downloadable form at 10 university bookstores this fall, went into operation earlier this week. Under the initial version of the program, the downloads were to be sold for 33 percent off the cost of a new, printed copy, but would only be usable for about five months.
E-books with expiration dates
On Friday, MBS Textbook Exchange--the textbook wholesaler that is organizing the program--said publishers had agreed to extend the expiration dates for the digital textbooks. The downloads will now last from 12 months to an unlimited time, depending on the publisher.
"All of us have always been committed to putting together a program that delivers a cost savings to the student through the traditional channel, which is the bookstore," MBS Direct Chief Executive Officer Dennis Flanagan, who is heading the project, said in a statement. "Adapting to student recommendations is what this test is all about."
The experiment, which is already ongoing at several schools including the University of Utah, is one of the most ambitious efforts offering students digital versions of textbooks instead of the heavy printed copies they're used to.
A handful of textbook publishers already offer downloadable versions of their works through their own Web sites or through partners. But the programs have been only lightly used--in part because most students tend to buy their books all at once either online or in the campus bookstore, rather than figuring out which publisher is responsible for which texts.
The new program will see little cards produced by MBS sold on the shelves next to used and new copies of textbooks, offering students the discount if they buy online instead. The generic cards--similar to phone cards--are associated with a specific book at the bookstore's check-out desk, and the student downloads the book later.
Formatted and copy-protected using Adobe technology, the books can be searched by keyword and read out loud by the software. But antipiracy protections will prevent them from being sold back to the bookstore or to other students once a class is finished.
MBS also said Friday that publishers have agreed to loosen restrictions on how much of a book could be printed and how often. That too will vary by publisher.
The digital books will be initially available at the University of Oregon, the University of Utah, Portland Community College, Bowling Green State University, Princeton University, Georgetown College, California State University-Fullerton, Morehead State University, and at privately owned stores serving West Virginia University and Louisiana State University.
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As a student or comsumer, we pay for access to information. If getting that information doesn't require it being printed, I should only have to pay for the information being put into the medium that I desire.If I buy one copy of the book, and at the end want to give away my one copy to a friend, that should be my right. But the thought of it expiring is just rediculous to me.
Ray J Gentry IV
Fix the pricing model...
Hmmm...
I agree with you. Yes, it's gotta be cheaper.
Double hmmm...
I think it is fair to pay periodically for something that you've chosen not to own for yourself. It doesn't make everyone happy, but the business will definitely have it's share of the market. And really, that share may be enough to measure success.
But don't forget, there's still the content piracy protection issue in the air. Let's watch and see...
But that is only true until the time publishers realize that the soft copy is as good as the hard copy.
This proves how far most publishers really are to the digital age.
So I think this e-textbook business is a good start towards that direction. I wish it can be sooner and faster. After years of life with the Internet, this is a frustating and disappointing snail-paced progress...
It is and remains my understanding that 'knowledge' needs to be spread as quickly and as cheaply as possible.
All knowlege is derived from other knowledge so anything that is 'new' is based on that which is 'old', even if only that it uses 'old' technology to distribute itself.
There are already 'private persons' who are marketing themselves and are offering direct access to their knowledge.
The 'writers guild' and the publishing industry will have to in the future compete with this dramatically reduced price competition.
In live drama, there is the competition between expensive MSN and 'free' linux.
The next step in this arena is not p2p sharing but
'bulk' access, or library facilities, for example I can go to my local library (could even be at a university) and the imformation is 'freely' available. This is acceptable to all parties. Soon someone (google, and wikipedia and ....) will create an 'international' library.
The day is already at hand when many have 24/7 access to the internet and thus to the 'international' library.
The only counter to this is that someone will say they refuse to 'sell' their works to the 'library', those that do, will find others that are more than willing to provide the equivalent knowledge.
Perhaps it can be renewed with the producing of a social security and drivers license number or a credit card number online for free. Not many people are stupid enough to want to give those numbers away to their friends. Of course, then the security would have to be tightened a lot... Then again. The schools already have our social security numbers. With the credit card number, you wouldn't want to give your number away, but the publisher would have a record of it via the first purchase.