The American Association of Publishers has been working to justify the high cost of new textbooks. They've been working to make clear to the press that the sale of used books doesn't result in the (deserving) publisher or author getting a cut.
(Of course they don't mention that architects don't get a cut when their buildings are resold, or that Microsoft doesn't get a cut when you resell your boxed copy of Windows XP to a friend.)
It's unsurprising that the AAP may not be a big supporter of the used book trade.
So I was surprised to read AAP President Pat Schroeder's statement to CNN/Money when asked whether the rising cost of books is a factor in declining American reading rates:
Former Colorado Rep. Pat Schroeder, who now heads the AAP, says book price increases didn't cause the reading decline. A book "is very high value," she argues. "It gives hours of pleasure and can be passed on to others." [Source]
It's nice to see that when the American publishing industry is under attack, their trade association is happy to claim that being able to share books (without subsequent readers having to pay a fee to the publisher) is a feature of their products, rather than a legal loophole to be overcome.
BookFinder.com -- helping ensure that good books "can be passed on to others" since 1997.
Posted by Anirvan
