It's a practice that has persisted for years, but which is being cast under a new light thanks to the internet. In a nutshell, a textbook that sells for a lot in North America sells for a lot less elsewhere in the world. The motivation is simple: "Foreign sales would be impossible if book prices were not pegged to local market conditions." Of course - aside from ripping off American students - this practice has the added side-benefit of preventing any local textbook industry from developing in these countries, because they cannot compete with the rock-bottom prices. In other economic sectors, they call this "dumping" and it it is usually prohibited under trade agreements. In the publishing and content sector, it's called business as usual.
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