Monthly Archives: January 2021

ebook prices

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Amazon and major publishers colluded to keep e-book prices high, lawsuit says from r/books

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazon-and-major-publishers-colluded-to-keep-e-book-prices-high-lawsuit-says/

Amazon and major publishers colluded to keep e-book prices high, lawsuit says

The same Seattle law firm that once sued Apple for propping up e-book prices to the detriment of consumers filed a nearly identical complaint against Amazon

Publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster — together known as the “Big Five” — agreed not to allow retailers to sell e-books at lower prices than could be found on Amazon.com, the complaint alleges. More than 80% of all e-book sales occur on Amazon.

Federal and state regulators last year stepped up inquiries into anticompetitive practices by software giants Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook.

Ironically, today’s relatively high prices for e-books — on Amazon, some e-books cost more than hardcover editions — are, in part, the result of the incredibly low prices Amazon formerly charged, multiple media outlets have reported.

 

Incentivizing faculty for OER

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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0099133320301117

This survey assessed the experiences of faculty who participated in a textbook affordability program at Rutgers University. The program provided incentive awards in exchange for replacing commercial textbooks with affordable course materials such as open educational resources (OER), self-developed course materials, course reserves, or library-licensed content.

indicate that even participating faculty vary greatly in their knowledge and use of OER and their interest in authoring open textbooks. Ultimately, these survey results indicate the lack of a “one size fits all” approach to incentivizing the adoption of affordable course materials, the use of OER, and the creation of new open resources.