Four major educational publishers have settled claims with five distributors involving the sale of counterfeit textbooks. Cengage Learning, John Wiley and Sons, Pearson, and McGraw-Hill report that the five separate settlements call for “the combined payment of more than $2.6 million dollars and agreements not to engage in any infringement going forward.” The five distributors are: California-based companies Davis Textbook and Kentwood Industries; the Texas Book Company; Sterling Educational Media, based in Florida; and ABSnext Corporation (formerly known as Budgetext Corporation) in Arkansas.

According to a release, the publishers say the settlements follow “an intensive investigation” by the publishers that “revealed a large wave of counterfeit textbooks” being distributed in the United States, tied to “overseas suppliers.” The publishers added that they are currently “pursuing action against other groups of individuals and companies” said to be engaged in similar conduct.

“We hope that these settlements send a strong message that textbook publishers will not allow those who profit from the sale of counterfeit works to pocket that money," said Matt Oppenheim, of Oppenheim & Zebrak, LLP who represented the publishers. "These companies are continuing to enforce their rights and do not intend to allow others to sell infringing copies of their textbooks without facing the consequences of doing so.”