Battle of the monopolists

Now that "IT" is hitting the fan in the college market, the oligopolists are looking for ways to cut out their partners so that they can keep their cashflows up.  The shift to e-books is a good idea but is driven by the powerful trying to sustain their 'take'.  It is absolutely wrong to think about 'not for profit' in any different way than 'for profit' - they both are self seeking, profit maximizing organizations, it's just one is more honest and open to positive pressures while the other hides their objectives and is largely immune to market rationalization.  It would be better if all service providers were for profit and foundations funded activities at them that are desired.

Some companies and college leaders are now proposing that e-textbooks should be required reading and that colleges should be the ones charging for them. It is the best way to control skyrocketing costs and may actually save the textbook industry from digital piracy, they claim.

E-textbooks are far cheaper to produce than printed texts, making a bulk purchase more feasible. By ordering books by the hundreds or thousands, colleges can negotiate a much better rate than students were able to get on their own, even for used books. And publishers could eliminate the used-book market and reduce incentives for students to illegally download copies as well.
The current system deceives and delivers grotesque amounts of waste.  More here.