Comments on: Did publishers sink Textbook Torrents piracy site? Either way, good riddance unless TT goes legit! http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:33:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Chris http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-861317 Chris Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:55:11 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-861317 Not that many people are blogging about DRM for textbooks, which is a little weird to me. There was a good NYT article today about it, by the way. Most of us in tech have knee-jerk reactions against DRM, but I think that for textbooks there might be a real opportunity here. What if you could buy a DRM textbook for $25, instead of paying $100-200 for a printed used or new copy? Right now, the textbook publishers that are releasing DRM textbooks are charging basically full price ($110 in the NYT article), which is a quick way to fail, but a competitive price point might work. :) I wrote about this idea here: http://www.baeronline.com/2008/07/26/textbooks-next-to-try-drm-raises-prices-for-students-by-a-lot/ Not that many people are blogging about DRM for textbooks, which is a little weird to me. There was a good NYT article today about it, by the way.

Most of us in tech have knee-jerk reactions against DRM, but I think that for textbooks there might be a real opportunity here. What if you could buy a DRM textbook for $25, instead of paying $100-200 for a printed used or new copy?

Right now, the textbook publishers that are releasing DRM textbooks are charging basically full price ($110 in the NYT article), which is a quick way to fail, but a competitive price point might work. :)

I wrote about this idea here: http://www.baeronline.com/2008/07/26/textbooks-next-to-try-drm-raises-prices-for-students-by-a-lot/

]]> By: Dawn http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-858880 Dawn Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:16:12 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-858880 TT will be back. It's simply a matter of finding another server. BTW - I think the use of the the term piracy is sloppy. Pirates copy and sell what they've copied, usually misrepresenting it as original. Downloaders are generally copyright enfringers who download for personal use. Conflating the two plays into the misrepresentations put forth by industry groups like the RIAA. TT will be back. It’s simply a matter of finding another server.

BTW - I think the use of the the term piracy is sloppy. Pirates copy and sell what they’ve copied, usually misrepresenting it as original. Downloaders are generally copyright enfringers who download for personal use. Conflating the two plays into the misrepresentations put forth by industry groups like the RIAA.

]]> By: Mike Cane http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-857084 Mike Cane Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:43:18 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-857084 Heh-heh. I always forget the adaptations of public domain works Disney did. (But then even when he got his hands on work he had to pay for, it became unrecognizable compared to the source!) Heh-heh. I always forget the adaptations of public domain works Disney did. (But then even when he got his hands on work he had to pay for, it became unrecognizable compared to the source!)

]]> By: HeavyG http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856748 HeavyG Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:05:42 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856748 Yep. Disney certainly made his fortune by ripping off the work of others. Yep. Disney certainly made his fortune by ripping off the work of others.

]]> By: Mike Cane http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856312 Mike Cane Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:54:38 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856312 HeavyG: That's exactly how Hollywood was founded. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Patents_Company Wave that skull and crossbones, baby. HeavyG: That’s exactly how Hollywood was founded.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Patents_Company

Wave that skull and crossbones, baby.

]]> By: Ryan http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856270 Ryan Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:42:05 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856270 <i>A better approach by TT would have been to have carried legitimate freebies and worked with publishers in mutually beneficial ways.</i> I'm looking at a Probability textbook I illegally downloaded, and it says that had exactly 0% chance of working. A better approach by TT would have been to have carried legitimate freebies and worked with publishers in mutually beneficial ways.

I’m looking at a Probability textbook I illegally downloaded, and it says that had exactly 0% chance of working.

]]> By: HeavyG http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856260 HeavyG Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:21:47 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856260 <i>"but I'd like to see more honest and sustainable workarounds"</i> Yes but sometimes it takes a little civil disobedience to guide the marketplace to a more equitable outcome for all. :) “but I’d like to see more honest and sustainable workarounds”

Yes but sometimes it takes a little civil disobedience to guide the marketplace to a more equitable outcome for all. :)

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856178 David Rothman Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:56:32 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856178 Hi, Tamas. Maybe a solution for the pirates but not the book biz. Heck, I agree with TT that gouges abound in the textbook industry, especially in the form of uneeded and unwanted updates, but I'd like to see more honest and sustainable workarounds. Thanks. David Hi, Tamas. Maybe a solution for the pirates but not the book biz. Heck, I agree with TT that gouges abound in the textbook industry, especially in the form of uneeded and unwanted updates, but I’d like to see more honest and sustainable workarounds. Thanks. David

]]> By: Tamas Simon http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856177 Tamas Simon Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:52:30 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856177 The solution for TT is to use some completely decentralized P2P technology such as gnutella or trackerless torrents... something that cannot be shut down. I bet it's happening and even though the site is down the content lives on elsewhere. The solution for TT is to use some completely decentralized P2P technology such as gnutella or trackerless torrents… something that cannot be shut down.
I bet it’s happening and even though the site is down the content lives on elsewhere.

]]> By: Brian Carnell http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856111 Brian Carnell Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:28:13 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/21/did-publishers-sink-textbook-torrents-piracy-site-either-way-good-riddance-unless-tt-goes-legit/#comment-856111 The solution, IMO, is for universities to create CC'd textbooks that are free to use for any educational purposes at all levels. I know there are some folks working on this, but not enough. The solution, IMO, is for universities to create CC’d textbooks that are free to use for any educational purposes at all levels. I know there are some folks working on this, but not enough.

]]>