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Pearson to "allow" the "resell" of digital textbooks

mardi 9 août 2022 à 22:48

Pearson plans to allow students to "resell" digital textbooks, but not freely: they will have to pay Pearson for the privilege, and let Pearson track them.

Pearson uses the term "NFT" to describe these plans, but that's a red herring, as the article explains — a marketing buzzword that has been stretched to fit.

There is no sign that these ebooks will avoid any of the injustices of existing digital textbooks: DRM, surveillance, and "jerkmaking" contracts where you commit to be a jerk by refusing to share copies with others.

It is unethical to agree to such a contract; however, carrying it out (supposing you have agreed to it) is even more unethical. The less bad option, if you have agreed to such a thing, is to disregard it.