> difference in having no incentive to keep costs down and having an incentive to keep costs up. Sure, but the only interested parties here presently are: - s

> difference in having no incentive to keep costs down and having an incentive to keep costs up. Sure, but the only interested parties here presently are: - students - publishers - professors (a few of which "author" or "customize" textbooks and stand to profit) Students have zero power, publishers have every incentive to increase prices, and most professors don't get involved because like you said, it's not really relevant to them personally. I agree that if a significant contingent of professors and lecturers essentially started boycotting the "textbook" industry, by using and contributing to "open source" books, or at least authoring or collaborating to author content that they give to their students at no cost, that would amount to applying pressure to the exploitatative business model.