File-Sharing Is Not Just for Music and Movies Anymore
Tuesday, July 8th, 2008P2P file-sharing, long the scourge of the music and movie industries, increasingly is making waves in the publishing world. Most notably, textbook file sharing is on the rise.
The RIAA and MPAA have implemented aggressive campaigns to stop illegal file-sharing, but publishers have generally taken a more subdued approach, opting for take-down notices over litigation. And while the RIAA and MPAA lawsuits against content users have generated tremendous attention to the P2P issue, file-sharing is still alive and well.
If more and more students eschew bookstores in favor of downloading free textbooks from P2P sites, publishers will be faced with a familiar conundrum: move even more quickly to adjust business and distribution models—or take up the battle in the courts. Either way, change seems to be in the air.
