Editorial2: Creative alternatives can reduce reader costs

According to the California Student Public Interest Research
Group, students spend an average of $900 per year on textbooks. But
lately, it seems course readers hit the pocketbook almost as hard.
Students are right to question why.

The root of the problem is the way copyright laws are applied to
educational material. In the 1990s, two court cases made it illegal
to copy significant amounts of material ““ even for
educational purposes ““ without first obtaining permission
from the copyright owner. Usually, permission only comes at a
price.

And that price can vary widely. Here at UCLA, most course
readers have copyright fees of three to 20 cents or more per page.
With a 500-page course reader, the total can add up quickly.

In the end, the burden falls on individual students.
Profit-driven copyright holders should remember that students have
limited resources and are using the material for educational
purposes.

Professors have limited options if they want to expose students
to a wide range of readings.

Professors, administrators and students should work together to
find creative solutions. Library reserves, alternative readings and
electronic resources could help reduce the size and cost of
readers.

Laws designed to protect intellectual property are not likely to
change, but one thing is clear: students are forced to pay far too
much for throwaway readers.