Economic models, technology, and copyright

Hillesund, Terje. “Reading Books in the Digital Age subsequent to Google and the long tail” First Monday 12:9 September 2007, 1-24.

In this essay, Hillesund argues at length with the thesis of John B. Thompson’s book that paper has staying power. Hillesund argues that books are now produced in a half-digital, half-paper method, that we are in a transitional period of revolutionary nature. He uses many theorists and thinkers who study the history of the book to make this claim. He suggests, however, that technology alone does not determine the course of history. He argues that other factors may slow change dramatically.

He ends his essay looking at the complexity of major book publishers who are uncomfortable with a movement toward the e-book because of copyright issues:

"Moreover, one of the publishing firms’ most valuable assets is their right to exploit book content: The control over the rights gives the publishing firms power in relation to authors, readers and different actors who want to exploit the content of books. When e–books were introduced at the end of the 1990s, publishing firms quickly discovered that pirate copying and dissemination of unencrypted versions of books could undermine the publishing firms’ own sales. Experiences from the music industry did not reduce this fear, and the majority of publishing firms have chosen to introduce a very restrictive digital control of rights on e–book publications (Lynch, 2001). This has greatly influenced the technology. Both the design of reading devices and the formulation of the e–book sales are often built on proprietary, closed and not especially reader–friendly solutions (Hillesund and Noring, 2006).

"In the sale of e–books, traditional compositors, printers, booksellers and book clubs are replaced with e–book designers, Internet providers, e–booksellers and companies providing systems for digital payment and control of rights. When, in addition, the actual production of books is changed, there is little doubt that e–book distribution constitutes a text cycle very different from the printed book cycle. In this situation, it has been rational for publishing firms to use their control of rights and their role in the publishing chain to control the digital changes such as to retain their central position in the field of publishing (Lynch, 2001) Even though it is difficult to support empirically, much in the publishing firms’ acts and statements (in both Thompson’s and the Norwegian study) indicates that the publishing firms are satisfied with a situation in which printed books dominate book sales, and that they make few active attempts to further develop the e–book markets. In fact, most publishing firms want e–books to remain a niche product. Nye (2006) provides many historical examples of actors who worked against the proliferation of new technologies, and Winston (1998) calls the phenomenon “the law of suppression of radical potential.” This suppression is not entirely negative: Through opposition, new technologies are formed by cultural preferences and economical realities. (p 17)

Here we have a discussion of a cycle of production and use of knowledge that is in the course of change. The change, however, is limited by the discomfort of those who hold power because they would rather not cede that power. The power in question is copyright.