DRMed textbooks

[Krytes]

I'm a university student, and one of the mandatory textbooks for this semester is an ebook. It's nearly as expensive as the real thing, soaked in DRM, and expires after 8 months. This is the second DRMed textbook that I've seen in two years, and they seem to be becoming more common. I not only don't want to buy it, I don't want the powers-that-be to assign textbooks that are only offered as DRMed ebooks. Has anyone successfully protested against DRM at school? Any suggestions for something that I could do?

[Kali Yuga]

I don't think you can change anything before the class starts.

The best you can do is politely discuss it with the prof, perhaps next time around they'll review DRM policies a bit more carefully.

I'd expect DRM will become more common as ebooks gain more traction in education. Then again, if you're taking a class in English lit, all those works are free so it may well balance out.

[marshies]

My professor was an ass when students asked for him to post abridged page numbers between 2 editions of the book so we could save money. He pointed at the DRM ebook that had similar conditions as the solution.

The actual book costs over $200, and the ebook was $140.

When pressed further he said, if students were the ones to reap benefit from cheaper books, then it is our business to make it available to ourselves.

[Blue Tyson]

Do what students have always done, forever - a few team up to get one copy, crack it and share it.

[patrickt]

Students have always gotten screwed by the publishers. I wandered into a bookstore near out university campus and bought a book. At the cash register, the young woman said, "There's a discount on this book. Are you a student getting the book for a class?"

I decided to be honest and said, "No, I just want to read it."
"Oh, well, you get the discount then."

I couldn't believe it and verified that a student who had to get the book paid full price and I, getting the book just to read, got a nice discount.

In a class I didn't take the text was published by, ta-da, the professor. Two pages in the text were work pages that had to be completed, torn out, and turned in. The professor would not accept Xeroxed pages. It screwed students, who couldn't sell the used textbook, but meant a nice bit of money for the professor.

[JP36]

Easiest thing is to borrow it from other students, you can try speaking to the professor/department head/chair but my experience with those people is they'll smile at you and act like they care (if you are lucky) then explain 'this is how it is'. You might get lucky and strike a chord with them but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Signing up for the course you are responsible for whatever materials are 'required' if you can get by without them great but if you can't you have to cave and buy/borrow/whatever to learn/do the work. If you can pass your tests/complete your assignments/projects you can't be failed for not owning a book. Depending on what the course/assignments you likely can find similar materials elsewhere or just use the 'old' version and do fine.

As for DRM textbooks I'd expect it to increase, book publishers have a great racket going at colleges pumping out new editions almost every year and often the schools/departments/professors go along with making the new edition 'required'. With ebooks they can pump them out faster, revise them faster, theoretically keep you from ever selling it/recouping any money back and dump another 'new' version out to get bought by the next term's students. That can be even easier if they tie in internet assignments/registration for every 'copy' so no one can use it more than once.

[viviena]

Originally Posted by Krytes

It's nearly as expensive as the real thing, soaked in DRM, and expires after 8 months.

There goes the healthy trade in second-hand textbooks, if this becomes more common.

I've just graduated from uni a few months ago. When I was still in, I had good luck with lecturers who, when asked, would honestly reply that an older edition would do, for example. Is there an earlier, paper book edition of this textbook?

Otherwise, for now I'd get together with other students, split the costs and have one buy it, then print if the DRM permits it and photocopy pages as needed -- then you have sheets you can scribble on and easily take around with you. Of course, if you follow the reasoning to its end, you can crack it and share it, as Blue Tyson suggests.

Later, when the uni has end-of-semester surveys or however your uni collects feedback, strongly voice your displeasure. If there's an active campus culture at your uni, you could probably stir up some interest in your argument. If there's a student union at your uni, making the voices of students heard and all that, you could possibly make your arguments very well-heard indeed. Not sure if your uni has all this, however.

[mldavis2]

Part of the textbook problem is that at many large universities, the big test of gaining full tenure for a professor is to PUBLISH. They don't give a rip about teaching -- in fact few if any college/university professors have ever been instructed in the fine art of 'teaching' their discipline. So you perform research and publish, with a little classroom time on the side, letting your grad students do the heavy lifting of paper grading and the like.

Obviously, with most professors writing, the university wants part of the profits from that effort. Note how many are published by some 'university press.'

The other killer is that text book material is dynamic -- ever changing, especially in the sciences. With so many new texts coming out every year, an oldie but goodie stands little chance of survival.

Yes, it isn't fair and often isn't ethical, but it is profitable. Students are usually strapped for cash, so the temptation to crack and share is often overwhelming, hence the DRM and time limits. Doesn't make it 'right' but that's how it is.

[ficbot]

I have an issue with paying for something that 'expires' though. I think that's a fair complaint. At least in the old days, yes, they would release a new version every three years so you couldn't re-sell, but you had something YOU could at least keep. $150 and it expires? No thank you.

[Anthem]

$140 dollars for a book rental? Ouch.

University students are made of money, haven't you heard?

Well, that's the logic of the administrators and publishers anyway.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by mldavis2

Part of the textbook problem is that at many large universities, the big test of gaining full tenure for a professor is to PUBLISH. They don't give a rip about teaching -- in fact few if any college/university professors have ever been instructed in the fine art of 'teaching' their discipline. So you perform research and publish, with a little classroom time on the side, letting your grad students do the heavy lifting of paper grading and the like.

That's true enough, but you won't get tenure at a big university for publishing a textbook.

Obviously, with most professors writing, the university wants part of the profits from that effort. Note how many are published by some 'university press.'

I'm not sure what the scare quotes are for. University presses are often very prestigious. But they tend to publish academic works, not textbooks. Textbooks are usually published by big publishing companies.

The other killer is that text book material is dynamic -- ever changing, especially in the sciences. With so many new texts coming out every year, an oldie but goodie stands little chance of survival.

True enough. I don't mind textbooks being changed when the subject changes, but I don't like pointless changes.

Yes, it isn't fair and often isn't ethical, but it is profitable. Students are usually strapped for cash, so the temptation to crack and share is often overwhelming, hence the DRM and time limits. Doesn't make it 'right' but that's how it is.

[stevo9er]

What is stopping a student from just running a script/macro to take screens of the book and converting to pdf?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by stevo9er

What is stopping a student from just running a script/macro to take screens of the book and converting to pdf?

Copyright law?

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by patrickt

In a class I didn't take the text was published by, ta-da, the professor. Two pages in the text were work pages that had to be completed, torn out, and turned in. The professor would not accept Xeroxed pages. It screwed students, who couldn't sell the used textbook, but meant a nice bit of money for the professor.

I know professors publish their own books all the time, but I haven't seen it taken to this level before. I would check the ethics requirements for the university and see if there is something that might help since it is an obvious conflict of interest.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

I know professors publish their own books all the time, but I haven't seen it taken to this level before. I would check the ethics requirements for the university and see if there is something that might help since it is an obvious conflict of interest.

My university had pretty strict requirements about profs using their own books in class; something like the pullout pages wouldn't be allowed. Although you could have a separate workbook.