Editorial: Solving book piracy

With the development of the Internet came a new relationship between companies and the public…. With the development of the Internet came a new relationship between companies and the public. The norm changed from the simple purchase model — paying directly for goods — to the new technology model — getting goods with the click of a mouse.

Of course, the latter is illegal and has prompted publishing companies to pursue download regulations, specifically on file-sharing sites. Music and videos have long been stolen cybergoods, but it seems a new type of file is becoming popular: the document.

According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, a group of publishing companies have asked file-sharing sites to help stop book piracy. Some key sites include RapidShare and 4shared. RapidShare has previously complied by helping to stop music and video piracy.

There are so many sites that host these documents that a phalanx would be nearly impossible. Also, the file-sharing sites in question rely on advertising for their revenue, and so depend on traffic, which could be dampened by stricter regulation.

But it’s more important to try to understand why this specific piracy occurs.

Most people do not like spending money or cannot afford to buy digital items. They resort to downloading what they could otherwise have purchased. However, music and videos are generally leisure items. Going with or without a certain piece of music does not change one’s quality of life. Books and articles, on the other hand, are at the core of education. The lack of such materials directly affects life, especially a student’s life.

Textbooks are sometimes expensive. Because publishing companies have a monopoly on certain books, they can in their own right demand what they wish, including a price out of some students’ budgets. Even if the campus lends out the book, there are only so many copies available, and only so many hours a library can be open.

And keep in mind that it is important to have that book to prepare for class the next day.

Expectedly, a student would turn to the Internet in desperate hope, looking for that shiny blue “download” button, and he might very well succeed.

Maybe publishing companies need to address this issue differently. If companies universally provided a digital copy of a book at a lower price, students wouldn’t need to scavenge the web. Although it might seem like an unnecessary loss of money, it could end up balancing out. Those students that would have otherwise downloaded the book bought the digital copy. The company would also eliminate printing, shipping and stocking expenses.

Retrofitting current textbooks to digital format is costly, so such a plan would be an investment, most effective for future editions.

No one need condone breaking the law, but it is important to look at motives behind actions. If companies could provide a cheaper solution, there would be less of a motive to partake in illegal activity.

The law will always struggle to keep up with technology. A collaborative effort would slow down the race.