Friday, May 15, 2020

Textbook Class Action Case versus Publishers and Booksellers

A six person Chicago law firm which engages in class action and personal injury cases has taken on the education publishing industry over the relatively new "inclusive access" programs which provide day one access of educational materials for students.
According to FeganScott’s managing partner Beth Fegan, who is representing the students, the agreements require students to obtain their required course materials from an “Inclusive Access” program by paying full-price for a digital access code from their official on-campus bookstore. When the semester ends, students lose access to the textbook, eliminating the possibility to resell to secondary purchasers.
“Textbooks have always been a major expense for college students, but for most, the free market allowed them to purchase or resell used textbooks to blunt the cost,” Fegan said. “These agreements rob students of that option, forcing them to play by the rules set by publishers and bookstores.”
Press release

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