College textbook maker Pearson eyes NFTs to claim a cut of second-hand sales

NFT advocates often tout the technology's ability to grant the creator a cut of second-hand sales as one of its major attributes. Artists can earn from one of their digital creations years after first selling it. Others are looking at NFTs to earn a buck from the secondary market too, including the publishers of college textbooks.Pearson, which said in 2019 it would focus on digital textbook sales, wants a piece of the action. “In the analogue world, a Pearson textbook was resold up to seven times, and we would only participate in the first sale,” CEO Andy Bird told Bloomberg this week. “The move to digital helps diminish the secondary market, and technology like blockchain and NFTs allows us to participate in every sale of that particular item as it goes through its life."There's an obvious reason why students resell textbooks. They're expensive! Students often have to spend hundreds of dollars on required materials each semester — or even hundreds of dollars on a single textbook. Selling on a textbook when it's no longer needed just makes sense.Turning textbooks into NFTs and banking on the blockchain to track ownership of them (from “owner A to owner B to owner C,” as Bird put it) seems unnecessary, though. Digital rights management already exists and doesn't need to go anywhere near cryptocurrency. Pearson has a $15 per month subscription service for its textbooks as well.Bird could simply be bloviating about a zeitgeisty technology to try and keep Pearson's investors... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2022-08-03 20:10:20 UTC ]
News tagged with: #second-hand sales #nft advocates #major attributes #secondary market #analogue world #makes sense #pearson

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The National's sales slump but Newsquest eyes general election fillip

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Library cuts and falls in printed book sales | Letters

Has the editor of The Bookseller compared the fall of print sales of adult fiction since 2009 by more than £150m with the massively declined budgets of public libraries over the same five-year period (The writing’s on the wall for adult fiction in print, 14 January). This is also conditioned by... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales 'level' for Pearson at nine-month point

Pearson has reported sales level in underlying terms for the first nine months of 2014, with Penguin Random House performing "well" in the third quarter.  Meanwhile chief financial officer Robin Freestone is to stand down after eight years in his role, the company said. Continue reading at The Bookseller

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B&N Quarterly Sales Fell 7%, But Losses Cut

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Ellora’s Cave Cuts Staff, Blames Big Amazon Sales Drop

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Russian Book Sales Plummet in Ukraine, Imports to Be Cut

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College Students Prefer A Mix of Print and Digital Textbooks

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Hands On: Nokia's Lumia Icon cuts the phablet down to size

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Time Inc. Eyes Candidates for Chief Revenue Officer, Mulls Cost-Cutting Options

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Price Cuts Bite Into Korean Book Sales, Fixed Price Considered

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Amazon offers physical bookstores a cut of Kindle ebook sales, and just enough rope

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[ Engadget | 2013-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon to Let Independent Bookstores Sell Kindles and Gives Them a Cut of E-Book Sales

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[ AllThingsD | 2013-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scholastic Cuts Loss Despite Sales Drop

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Barnes & Noble drops Nook prices, eyes Mother's Day sales boost

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Lonely Planet 'sale' claims

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Pearson denies FT sale

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Pearson adds to iBookstore textbooks

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First quarter sales up 11% at Pearson

Pearson increased sales by 11% to £1.16bn in the first three months of 2012, it announced... Continue reading at The Bookseller

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