Publishers loosen rules on e-textbooks

A group of major textbook publishers has agreed to loosen restrictions in an electronic-textbook experiment beginning this month at Princeton University and other schools, following some criticism of expiration dates.

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.

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E-books with expiration dates

Digital textbooks impose some real limits in exchange for saving you money.

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.

[RayGentry]

bunch of poo

I think it's crazy that publishers put expiration dates that quickly on books. Costs should be cheaper than hard copies because none of the printing costs are involved. Plust I'm sure it's not hard to translate the books to PDF because the layouts have to be on a computer already. Once I buy a copy of a book, I can resell it, give it away or keep it forever. Owning an electronic copy should be similar. I realize that there are the costs related to research, writing and editing of the books, but once that's included in the cost and I've paid for it, it should be my property. The only thing that should be not allowed is obviously the copying of the book and giving it away or reselling it.

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

[Mendz]

So it's suppose to be cheaper!!!

Fix the business model... check!

Fix the pricing model...

Hmmm...

I agree with you. Yes, it's gotta be cheaper.

Double hmmm...

[Mendz]

Business Development 101

I am right in saying that this business is young and developing perhaps even evolving. It'll be a matter of time to mature into a business model that people embraces -- a new fashion of subscription-based content delivery services like cable TVs and ISPs.

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...

[Mendz]

I though of something...

"I think it is fair to pay periodically for something that you've chosen not to own for yourself."

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...

Back to the basics.

In the days before the printing press the reading of the 'bible' was restricted to the 'professionals' and there was much abuse of this knowledge.
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.

[ethically]

A bit better.

I still think selling a book with an expiration date is completely wrong, but 12 months is better, and hopefully they will open up to better ideas.

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.