{"id":175885,"date":"2025-04-09T01:17:37","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T23:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/de-studerende-piratkopierer-som-aldrig-foer-og-frygter-ikke-konsekvenserne\/"},"modified":"2025-04-09T09:20:53","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T07:20:53","slug":"students-dont-seem-to-care-if-its-theft-textbooks-are-ridiculously-expensive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/students-dont-seem-to-care-if-its-theft-textbooks-are-ridiculously-expensive\/","title":{"rendered":"Students don’t seem to care if it’s theft: \u00bbTextbooks are ridiculously expensive\u00ab"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rent has to be paid, insurance has to be paid \u2014 and then the new syllabus textbook list drops. Every semester, students hand over an average of DKK 2,400<\/a> to keep up with the curriculum.<\/p>\n

But fewer and fewer students are making their way to the bookstore these days. A new survey<\/a> shows that more than half of university students (54 per cent) get their textbooks illegally instead. And this kind of piracy and sharing is not just a breach of the University of Copenhagen\u2019s (UCPH) agreements with authors and producers’ group Copydan \u2014 it\u2019s also a violation of Danish copyright laws.<\/p>\n

In the worst case, students risk both a fine and a criminal record. But this isn\u2019t deterring them from straying off the straight and narrow.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO<\/strong>: Textbook piracy is a crime \u2014 and half of students are guilty<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The University Post took a bike out to ask a handful of students what they think about piracy.
\n<\/p>\n

\u00bbI can damn well understand why people do it\u00ab<\/h3>\n

It is lunchtime in a packed cafeteria in the Panum building complex at the University of Copenhagen, and Emma Christensen shares how she got hold of her textbooks this semester:<\/p>\n

\u00bbI\u2019ve spent around DKK 1,000 on books, but I was lucky to find many of them second-hand. Last semester I bought them new and spent something in the region of DKK 1,500-1,700,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n

Have you ever had illegal digital copies of textbooks during your studies?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00bbYes, I will be honest with you and say I have. You always know someone who\u2019s in their sixth semester and who has the PDF. Every semester, someone has the books,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n

Do you think about the consequences of having illegally acquired textbooks?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00bbNo, I don\u2019t. Because overall, lots of books are still being bought. If I got all my books illegally in a semester, I might think more about it \u2014 but that\u2019s just not how it works. You\u2019re lucky if you get one. I\u2019ve thought it was a bit amiss<\/span>, but I\u2019ve never really thought that it was outright illegal,\u00ab says Emma Christensen.<\/p>\n

She acknowledges that illegal sharing is problematic, but she also believes that textbooks have become unreasonably expensive. According to Emma Christensen, a single semester\u2019s books can easily cost DKK 2,500, which makes student life difficult to manage.<\/p>\n

\u00bbHousing is expensive, food is expensive, and now books are expensive too. I get why it\u2019s illegal \u2014 but I damn well also understand why people do it,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n

Emma Christensen thinks the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) should make it easier for students to get second-hand books instead.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThere should be a place at UCPH for used books, where your old books could be assessed. Maybe you could get a few hundred kroner for handing in an old book and get something back that way,\u00ab says Emma Christensen.
\n<\/p>\n

\u00bbLike crossing at a red light\u00ab<\/h3>\n

At the Faculty of Social Sciences, I catch up with sociology student Astrid Bang Therkildsen.<\/p>\n

How much have you spent on textbooks this semester?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00bbI spent DKK 350 on one book. It\u2019s the only book we need this semester, and I bought it new. I usually spend a maximum of DKK 400 on textbooks, and then I choose the ones that are most important, because I don\u2019t feel I can afford more. I could probably afford it if I wanted to, but I just don\u2019t want to prioritise my money that way,\u00ab says Astrid Bang Therkildsen.<\/p>\n

Like the majority, Astrid Bang Therkildsen,<\/span> has also had illegal books during their studies. When they <\/secret>had a course in their fourth semester that required five different books, one of their fellow students took the initiative to collect all the necessary books in a shared drive that was posted on Facebook. This semester too, Astrid has already been offered the online version of the book they bought in print \u2014 twice.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI\u2019ve never scanned a book and shared it with others than myself, but where exactly is the line between what\u2019s legal and what\u2019s not? I don\u2019t know,\u00ab says Astrid Bang Therkildsen.<\/p>\n

Why do you think it\u2019s so widespread, even though it\u2019s illegal?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00bbI think the normalisation of it makes it feel<\/em> less illegal. It\u2019s like crossing at a red light. And I\u2019ve never heard of anyone actually facing consequences, so it also feels less illegal when there\u2019s no penalty,\u00ab they say.<\/p>\n

Astrid Bang Therkildsen also reckons that publishers sometimes exploit students by making only minimal changes to textbooks from year to year.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI understand that the curriculum needs to be updated, but you do feel a bit exploited. And then it doesn\u2019t feel quite as bad to exploit them in return,\u00ab says Astrid Bang Therkildsen.
\n<\/p>\n

\u00bbI don\u2019t think making books cheaper would help\u00ab<\/h3>\n

On his way to a lecture, anthropology student David Paris says he has spent DKK 160 on textbooks this semester:<\/p>\n

\u00bbI\u2019m writing my bachelor\u2019s project and only have one course alongside it, but normally I spend around DKK 400\u2013500. Most of the books I\u2019ve bought new, though sometimes I\u2019ve bought them second-hand.\u00ab<\/p>\n

Have you had illegal digital copies of textbooks during your studies?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00bbYes. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s that widespread on our programme or in my year group, but you can find quite a lot of books online and download them. Often, if I know I\u2019m going to read the whole book, I\u2019ll buy it, because I like having a physical copy. But if I only need a few chapters, or if I need to search for specific terms, it\u2019s great to have it online,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

Although David Paris knows that copying textbooks is illegal, he doesn\u2019t think much about the consequences. Still, he acknowledges that authors and publishers ultimately lose money due to pirated books:<\/p>\n

\u00bbIt is a problem, because the people who write the books don\u2019t get paid,\u00ab he says, adding that he would like to see better information provided by the study programmes:<\/p>\n

\u00bbSome textbooks are ridiculously expensive, but I don\u2019t think making them cheaper would help \u2014 it would still be money that students have to spend. Maybe more awareness would help. For instance, you can legally access most things through the Royal Library, but you don\u2019t really know about that at the beginning of your studies,\u00ab he says.
\n<\/p>\n

\u00bbIn Ireland we had access to all texts through the university\u00ab<\/h3>\n

This semester, political science student Isabella Smith only has two courses and has spent DKK 800 on textbooks, but she usually spends more:<\/p>\n

\u00bbNormally I spend around DKK 1,600\u20131,700, and I buy my books second-hand if I can find them \u2014 so that\u2019s already half the original price,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n

She has had illegal digital textbooks once, and Isabella Smith also believes that normalisation makes it feel \u00bbless dangerous,\u00ab as she puts it.<\/p>\n

After a recent exchange stay, she thinks the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) could learn from how things are done in other countries.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI just went on exchange in Ireland, where I took 30 ECTS credits and five courses, and no one asked me to buy a physical book. Instead, we had articles and online books that we could access through the university,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n

When a new semester begins, the high cost of brand-new textbooks hits harder than the risk of breaking the law \u2014 especially on a tight student budget. As Isabella Smith puts it, echoing other students interviewed by the University Post:<\/p>\n

\u00bbIt\u2019s nuts that we have been asked to spend that much money on textbooks by the university.\u00ab
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09:20:53","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":2560,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mixcollage31mar20250306pm9570-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mixcollage31mar20250306pm9570-480x480.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":480,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mixcollage31mar20250306pm9570-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mixcollage31mar20250306pm9570-1280x1280.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":1280,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mixcollage31mar20250306pm9570-1536x1536.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mixcollage31mar20250306pm9570-2048x2048.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":2048,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mixcollage31mar20250306pm9570-290x290.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":290,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mixcollage31mar20250306pm9570-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mixcollage31mar20250306pm9570-700x700.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":700,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mixcollage31mar20250306pm9570-990x990.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":990}},"style":"extended","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":false,"alternative_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"Student reactions","text":"Mere end hver anden studerende har haft ulovlige piratkopieringer af studieb\u00f8ger. I sidste ende risikerer de b\u00f8der og pletter p\u00e5 straffeattesten. Men det afholder ikke de studeredende fra den ulovlige praksis.","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":true,"contributors":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>Rent has to be paid, insurance has to be paid \u2014 and then the new syllabus textbook list drops. Every semester, students hand over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.altinget.dk\/uddannelse\/ministersvar\/72626\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an average of DKK 2,400<\/a> to keep up with the curriculum.<\/p>\n<p>But fewer and fewer students are making their way to the bookstore these days. A new <a href=\"https:\/\/rettighedsalliancen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Studerendes-anskaffelse-af-studieboeger-2024_epinion_rettighedsalliancen_offentlig-version.pdf\">survey<\/a> shows that more than half of university students (54 per cent) get their textbooks illegally instead. And this kind of piracy and sharing is not just a breach of the University of Copenhagen\u2019s (UCPH) agreements with authors and producers’ group Copydan \u2014 it\u2019s also a violation of Danish copyright laws.<\/p>\n<p>In the worst case, students risk both a fine and a criminal record. But this isn\u2019t deterring them from straying off the straight and narrow.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/textbook-piracy-is-a-crime-and-half-of-students-are-guilty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Textbook piracy is a crime \u2014 and half of students are guilty<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The University Post took a bike out to ask a handful of students what they think about piracy.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":175163,"id":175163,"title":"Emma Christensen, Medicin, andet semester","filename":"emmachristensen-scaled.jpg","filesize":442512,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/emmachristensen-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/de-studerende-piratkopierer-som-aldrig-foer-og-frygter-ikke-konsekvenserne\/emma-christensen\/","alt":"","author":"108","description":"","caption":"","name":"emma-christensen","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":175159,"date":"2025-03-25 15:16:27","modified":"2025-03-25 15:20:23","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1705,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/emmachristensen-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/emmachristensen-480x320.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":320,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/emmachristensen-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/emmachristensen-1280x853.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":853,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/emmachristensen-1536x1023.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1023,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/emmachristensen-2048x1364.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1364,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/emmachristensen-290x193.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":193,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/emmachristensen-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/emmachristensen-700x466.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":466,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/emmachristensen-990x659.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":659}},"style":"extended","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"Emma Christensen studies second semester medicine."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<h3>\u00bbI can damn well understand why people do it\u00ab<\/h3>\n<p>It is lunchtime in a packed cafeteria in the Panum building complex at the University of Copenhagen, and Emma Christensen shares how she got hold of her textbooks this semester:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI\u2019ve spent around DKK 1,000 on books, but I was lucky to find many of them second-hand. Last semester I bought them new and spent something in the region of DKK 1,500-1,700,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n<p><em>Have you ever had illegal digital copies of textbooks during your studies?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00bbYes, I will be honest with you and say I have. You always know someone who\u2019s in their sixth semester and who has the PDF. Every semester, someone has the books,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n<p><em>Do you think about the consequences of having illegally acquired textbooks?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00bbNo, I don\u2019t. Because overall, lots of books are still being bought. If I got all my books illegally in a semester, I might think more about it \u2014 but that\u2019s just not how it works. You\u2019re lucky if you get one. I\u2019ve thought it was a bit <span class=\"secrettext face\" title=\"Frowned upon\">amiss<\/span>, but I\u2019ve never really thought that it was outright illegal,\u00ab says Emma Christensen.<\/p>\n<p>She acknowledges that illegal sharing is problematic, but she also believes that textbooks have become unreasonably expensive. According to Emma Christensen, a single semester\u2019s books can easily cost DKK 2,500, which makes student life difficult to manage.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbHousing is expensive, food is expensive, and now books are expensive too. I get why it\u2019s illegal \u2014 but I damn well also understand why people do it,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n<p>Emma Christensen thinks the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) should make it easier for students to get second-hand books instead.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThere should be a place at UCPH for used books, where your old books could be assessed. Maybe you could get a few hundred kroner for handing in an old book and get something back that way,\u00ab says Emma Christensen.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":175169,"id":175169,"title":"Astrid Bang Therkildsen","filename":"astridbangtherkildsen-scaled.jpg","filesize":424055,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/astridbangtherkildsen-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/de-studerende-piratkopierer-som-aldrig-foer-og-frygter-ikke-konsekvenserne\/astrid-bang-therkildsen\/","alt":"","author":"108","description":"","caption":"","name":"astrid-bang-therkildsen","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":175159,"date":"2025-03-25 15:19:49","modified":"2025-03-31 12:40:15","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1705,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/astridbangtherkildsen-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/astridbangtherkildsen-480x320.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":320,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/astridbangtherkildsen-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/astridbangtherkildsen-1280x853.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":853,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/astridbangtherkildsen-1536x1023.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1023,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/astridbangtherkildsen-2048x1364.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1364,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/astridbangtherkildsen-290x193.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":193,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/astridbangtherkildsen-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/astridbangtherkildsen-700x466.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":466,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/astridbangtherkildsen-990x659.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":659}},"style":"extended","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"Astrid Bang Therkildsen is a sixth semester student of sociology."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<h3>\u00bbLike crossing at a red light\u00ab<\/h3>\n<p>At the Faculty of Social Sciences, I catch up with sociology student Astrid Bang Therkildsen.<\/p>\n<p><em>How much have you spent on textbooks this semester?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI spent DKK 350 on one book. It\u2019s the only book we need this semester, and I bought it new. I usually spend a maximum of DKK 400 on textbooks, and then I choose the ones that are most important, because I don\u2019t feel I can afford more. I could probably afford it if I wanted to, but I just don\u2019t want to prioritise my money that way,\u00ab says Astrid Bang Therkildsen.<\/p>\n<p>Like the majority, <span class=\"secrettext face\" title=\"Non-binary pronoun\">Astrid Bang Therkildsen,<\/span> has also had illegal books during their studies. When <secret text=\"Non-binary pronoun: they\/them\">they <\/secret>had a course in their fourth semester that required five different books, one of their fellow students took the initiative to collect all the necessary books in a shared drive that was posted on Facebook. This semester too, Astrid has already been offered the online version of the book they bought in print \u2014 twice.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI\u2019ve never scanned a book and shared it with others than myself, but where exactly is the line between what\u2019s legal and what\u2019s not? I don\u2019t know,\u00ab says Astrid Bang Therkildsen.<\/p>\n<p><em>Why do you think it\u2019s so widespread, even though it\u2019s illegal?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI think the normalisation of it makes it <em>feel<\/em> less illegal. It\u2019s like crossing at a red light. And I\u2019ve never heard of anyone actually facing consequences, so it also feels less illegal when there\u2019s no penalty,\u00ab they say.<\/p>\n<p>Astrid Bang Therkildsen also reckons that publishers sometimes exploit students by making only minimal changes to textbooks from year to year.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI understand that the curriculum needs to be updated, but you do feel a bit exploited. And then it doesn\u2019t feel quite as bad to exploit them in return,\u00ab says Astrid Bang Therkildsen.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":175167,"id":175167,"title":"David Paris","filename":"davidparis-scaled.jpg","filesize":634890,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/davidparis-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/de-studerende-piratkopierer-som-aldrig-foer-og-frygter-ikke-konsekvenserne\/david-paris\/","alt":"","author":"108","description":"","caption":"","name":"david-paris","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":175159,"date":"2025-03-25 15:19:43","modified":"2025-03-31 12:41:38","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1705,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/davidparis-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/davidparis-480x320.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":320,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/davidparis-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/davidparis-1280x853.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":853,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/davidparis-1536x1023.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1023,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/davidparis-2048x1364.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1364,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/davidparis-290x193.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":193,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/davidparis-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/davidparis-700x466.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":466,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/davidparis-990x659.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":659}},"style":"extended","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"David Paris is a sixth semester student of anthropology."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<h3>\u00bbI don\u2019t think making books cheaper would help\u00ab<\/h3>\n<p>On his way to a lecture, anthropology student David Paris says he has spent DKK 160 on textbooks this semester:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI\u2019m writing my bachelor\u2019s project and only have one course alongside it, but normally I spend around DKK 400\u2013500. Most of the books I\u2019ve bought new, though sometimes I\u2019ve bought them second-hand.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p><em>Have you had illegal digital copies of textbooks during your studies?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00bbYes. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s that widespread on our programme or in my year group, but you can find quite a lot of books online and download them. Often, if I know I\u2019m going to read the whole book, I\u2019ll buy it, because I like having a physical copy. But if I only need a few chapters, or if I need to search for specific terms, it\u2019s great to have it online,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>Although David Paris knows that copying textbooks is illegal, he doesn\u2019t think much about the consequences. Still, he acknowledges that authors and publishers ultimately lose money due to pirated books:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIt is a problem, because the people who write the books don\u2019t get paid,\u00ab he says, adding that he would like to see better information provided by the study programmes:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbSome textbooks are ridiculously expensive, but I don\u2019t think making them cheaper would help \u2014 it would still be money that students have to spend. Maybe more awareness would help. For instance, you can legally access most things through the Royal Library, but you don\u2019t really know about that at the beginning of your studies,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":175165,"id":175165,"title":"Isabella Smith","filename":"isabellasmith-scaled.jpg","filesize":519516,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/isabellasmith-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/de-studerende-piratkopierer-som-aldrig-foer-og-frygter-ikke-konsekvenserne\/isabella-smith\/","alt":"","author":"108","description":"","caption":"","name":"isabella-smith","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":175159,"date":"2025-03-25 15:19:35","modified":"2025-03-31 12:42:33","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1705,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/isabellasmith-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/isabellasmith-480x320.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":320,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/isabellasmith-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/isabellasmith-1280x853.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":853,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/isabellasmith-1536x1023.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1023,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/isabellasmith-2048x1364.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1364,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/isabellasmith-290x193.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":193,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/isabellasmith-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/isabellasmith-700x466.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":466,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/isabellasmith-990x659.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":659}},"style":"extended","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"Isabella Smith is a sixth semester student of political science."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<h3>\u00bbIn Ireland we had access to all texts through the university\u00ab<\/h3>\n<p>This semester, political science student Isabella Smith only has two courses and has spent DKK 800 on textbooks, but she usually spends more:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbNormally I spend around DKK 1,600\u20131,700, and I buy my books second-hand if I can find them \u2014 so that\u2019s already half the original price,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n<p>She has had illegal digital textbooks once, and Isabella Smith also believes that normalisation makes it feel \u00bbless dangerous,\u00ab as she puts it.<\/p>\n<p>After a recent exchange stay, she thinks the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) could learn from how things are done in other countries.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI just went on exchange in Ireland, where I took 30 ECTS credits and five courses, and no one asked me to buy a physical book. Instead, we had articles and online books that we could access through the university,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n<p>When a new semester begins, the high cost of brand-new textbooks hits harder than the risk of breaking the law \u2014 especially on a tight student budget. As Isabella Smith puts it, echoing other students interviewed by the University Post:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIt\u2019s nuts that we have been asked to spend that much money on textbooks by the university.\u00ab<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with upcoming events and top University of Copenhagen stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":3792,"name":"Student life","slug":"student-life","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3792,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":160,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":15,"name":"News Article","slug":"news_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":15,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":11492,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":674,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mixcollage31mar20250306pm9570-1280x1280.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175885"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":175966,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175885\/revisions\/175966"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}