The Ministry of Education has given universities until the end of the year to clean up its act.
Chinese universities and students aren't able to afford the higher quality textbooks...thus they resort to photocopying them.
It's no surprise. American students can't afford to buy textbooks either. The textbook companies 'renew' the books every year as well to keep students from passing
them on to underclassmen.China's largest private English school, the New Oriental School, was sued by U.S.-based Educational Testing Service because NOS copied and sold test materials.
The fine was $450,000.
China seems to be getting more and more serious about intellectual property rights.
As a textbook writer, I applaud this initiative and hope to see it carried through.
I also wish textbook publishers would make their products more afforadble.
What do you think?
