Patent Granted for System to Prevent Printed Textbook Piracy

According to Tom Allen, current president of the AAP, “Gor every rogue site that is taken down, there are hundreds more demanding similar effort. I can’t think of a more timely example of the need for additional tools…”

In Vogel’s system, publishers issue licenses free of charge to professors who cite a trademarked textbook in their syllabi. The license has two conditions: the course must require that students participate in a discussion board and the participation must count toward the final grade. With the purchase of a textbook, the student receives an access code to enter the board. In the case of a used book or pirated download, the student pays for the access code. No payment, no access code; no participation, get a lower final grade.