Chron of Higher Ed: Founder of Textbook-Download Site Says Offering Free Copyrighted Textbooks Is Act of 'Civil Disobedience'

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

________________________________________
From: bobr () bobrosenberg phoenix az us [bobr () bobrosenberg phoenix az us]
Sent: Monday, July 07, 2008 5:33 PM
To: David Farber
Subject: Chron of Higher Ed:  Founder of Textbook-Download Site Says  Offering Free Copyrighted Textbooks Is Act of 
'Civil Disobedience'

Dave

Perhaps for I.P.

For those who may not know, Pearson, PLC (mentioned in article below) also publishes
the Financial Times, owns a 50% stake in the Economist and owns Penguin Books.

Cheers,
Bob

--
Bob Rosenberg
P.O. Box 33023
Phoenix, AZ  85067-3023
Mobile:  602-206-2856
LandLine:  602-274-3012
bob () bobrosenberg phoenix az us

**************

"Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of
opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly
repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and
creates a country where everyone lives in fear."
-- President Harry S. Truman, message to Congress, August 8, 1950

**************

July 2, 2008
Founder of Textbook-Download Site Says Offering Free Copyrighted Textbooks Is Act of
'Civil Disobedience'
http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=3136&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

Publishers see Web sites like Textbook Torrents, which offer free downloads of
textbooks without authorization, as part of a growing problem of piracy that could
potentially threaten their industry. But the founder of Textbook Torrents calls his
actions “civil disobedience” against “the monopolistic business practices” of
textbook publishers.

The site’s founder, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of legal action against
him, talked to The Chronicle over an Internet phone call last night and defended his
creation, though he described it as operating in a “legal gray area.” He said he is
an undergraduate at a college outside of the United States, though he would not name
the institution or country, and that he operates the Web site from there.

His biggest complaint: that textbooks are just too expensive, and that prices climb
each year. “We’re showing both students and textbook publishers that this isn’t
acceptable anymore,” he said. “A lot of users are absolutely fed up with the
system.” He said he views the 64,000 registered users of his textbook-download site
as votes against that system.

The site started last January, but except for an author or two writing to ask that
their books be removed, no one had complained until recently, he said. Last Friday,
after The Chronicle began asking publishers about the site, Pearson Education sent
the site a note demanding that 78 of its titles be removed. The site quickly
complied. “We don’t have the legal muscle to fight them,” the founder said. But he
added that he will press on with the site, even if such takedown requests continue.
“I certainly have no intention of going anywhere.”

The site takes in some money through banner advertising, and some users have made
donations, but he said Textbook Torrents is not profitable, and that the goal is
simply to break even rather than to benefit financially.

<snip>





-------------------------------------------
Archives: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com