Law in the Internet Society

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Continuing the Democratization of Knowledge through e-books

-- By SylviaDuran - 24 Oct 2011

Just as the printing press was credited with the democratization of knowledge, the electronic book (e-book) has the potential to spread information more efficiently and affordably than ever before. However, publishers’ fear of the Napsterization of their industry has stalled the e-book revolution. This fear is not entirely unreasonable as evidenced by the music industry’s alleged billion dollar losses attributable to peer-to-peer networks. But unlike the music industry, e-book publishers carry an additional responsibility to society – the dissemination of information, which is indispensable to the continued democratization of knowledge. Critics of the music industry note the industry was slow to evolve so the market responded with peer-to-peer sharing. Publishers of e-books are now making similar mistakes and they are less forgivable the second time around.

Publishers use questionable pricing strategies

When the alternative is "free," e-book publishers hasten the retreat to piracy by engaging in questionable pricing strategies. Consumers express surprise and sometimes anger at current e-book prices as they often mirror print book prices. Consumers note they cannot donate, sell, or generally lend their purchased copies to other parties. In addition, the marginal cost of distributing e-books is much lower than print books. Publishers justify their pricing saying their fixed costs, such as marketing and editorial costs, constitute the bulk of their expenses.

Notes: perception, music industry streaming programs, price fixing lawsuit

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