[IP] Re: BitTorrent now being used for piracy of textbooks

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

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From: Kris Kirby [kris@catonic.us]
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 6:34 PM
To: David Farber
Subject: Re: [IP] BitTorrent now being used for piracy of textbooks

On Tue, 1 Jul 2008, David Farber wrote:
> "It is troubling that there is a culture of infringement out there,"
> said Mr. McCoyd. But as more publishers offer books online and readers
> become more familiar with digital formats, he added, more people are
> likely to illegally download them.

Dave,

I refuse to allow myself to harbor any sympathy for these corporations.
As a university student myself, I have been subject to machinations of
these tyrant companies for entirely too long. My first shock came a few
years ago, whilst I was attempting to finance my next round of textbook
purchases by selling my textbooks back to the bookstore. An employee of
the bookstore opened the textbook, looked at the publication
information, punched that information into the computer, and thus
responded, "The publisher isn't buying this book because they have a new
version coming out next semester."  Stop and think about that sentance
for a moment.

  It is certainly clear to myself that the entire process of new
textbook sales as well as used textbook sales is managed by the
publisher; the publisher has no incentive to lower prices because of the
captive market it controls. The publisher can and will manipulate the
market as it sees fit by making small, incremental changes to the text
and printing a new textbook. The publisher then forces the students and
universities to adopt the new version by pushing out bugfixes of
previous bundled electronic learning software as new software.  The
administrators, eager to maintain secure computing enviroments as
required by law, adopt the new software. The professors, equally as
eager to use better software, push for upgrades as well.  The students,
eager to complete the degree to assure employability and reduce thier
own frustration, follow like cows headed up the slaughterhouse chute.

  While I cannot condone the actions of the publishers who are obviously
wallowing in currency as would a pig in a sty wallow in mud, I am left
with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach by the actions of those
deepest effected by these dynamics of the textbook market. Where are the
"Craigslist" and "eBay" of college textbooks? Where is the true
innovation? It is true that one may purchase textbooks from eBay, either
through Half.com or by a direct auction, one has no assurance of the
condition of the book, nor that the book is indeed one produced for the
United States market, or nor least of all the very fitness for purpose
-- that the text is the correct version for the class listing. Where is
there a clear trading house on the internet to allow students to connect
with one another and find mutual satisfaction in a textbook transaction?
This problem seems like a simple and rudimentary problem to solve --
where have our innovators gone?

--
Kris Kirby, KE4AHR
<kris@catonic.us>



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