As college students, we’re not exactly rolling in dough — and when the average coed is expected to dish out $700 to $1,100 annually for textbooks whose prices will probably increase with each quarter, breaking the bank in the name of Poli104DA becomes a frightening possibility. But there’s a light at the end of the costly tunnel. Depending on the final ruling, the Costco v. Omega case, elevated to the Supreme Court last week, could put an end to the abusive monopoly of publishing companies and finally give us the break we deserve.

Costco v. Omega arose after wholesale company Costco sold Omega-brand watches at lower-than-retail prices. If Costco had purchased the watches in the U.S., the first sale doctrine dictates that Costco would have had full power in determining the watches’ resale price. But the case is complicated because Costco bought the watches from overseas. The question now up for debate is whether the first sale doctrine still applies outside the U.S.

If the court rules that the doctrine does apply to items purchased overseas, Costco has the right to sell the Omega watches stateside at whatever price it wants. If not, Costco needs Omega’s permission to sell the watches.

The Association of American Publishers wrote to the court, citing similar ramifications in the world of textbook publishers. Most textbooks, the letter said, have cheaper international counterparts that contain the exact same content but with lower-quality papers, bindings and covers and without color. If the court rules in favor of Costco, companies can sell cheaper international textbook editions in the U.S.

For students, this is only good news. With the price of college textbooks has gone up nearly 30 percent in the past four years alone, differences in binding, color and quality of paper are negligible sacrifices. It’s not worth paying an additional $2,000 for more durable binding that we’ll forget about the second finals are over.

Publishers also claimed that selling international editions would cause negative ripple effects, such as less compensation for authors, fewer updates and an overall decrease in the quality of textbooks. Textbook company lawyers warned that paying authors less would lead to a decline in the textbook content quality, which would negatively impact the education system. They further stated that these would be fewer updates and textbook editions, reducing the amount of cutting-edge information.

In reality, the quality of a teaching staff is more important than textbooks to the quality of education. Students lose almost nothing when sacrificing unnecessary textbook editions. New editions come with a hefty price increase, but usually have little to offer aside from changes in the numbering of problems.

In 2008, Congress passed legislation forcing publishers to sell textbooks separately, instead in costly packaged bundles. This mandate has only begun to take effect in 2010, but removing a study guide here and there has done little in terms of reducing costs to affordable levels.

There has also been a great increase — $2 to $263 million in 8 years — in the percent of e-books being sold, but for some students, reading a text online is not the same as having a tangible copy. Some online companies let students rent textbooks for a quarter or semester at a fraction of the cost of buying them.

But the most obvious cost-saving tactic is to buy an international edition without the bells and whistles. As long as it’s the same content, the student has the same experience for a fraction of the cost. Publishing companies need to give students more price and quality options. Right now, they’re forcing all students to buy Coach purses, without allowing them to purchase lower-quality but equally functional and cheaper versions.

Many students resort to taking out second loans, photocopying texts, borrowing from school libraries or sharing with other students. We’re here to learn — not get hustled. If the court rules in favor of Omega, nothing will change for broke college students.

The Supreme Court is set to decide on Costco v. Omega before June of this year. If all goes well, the ruling will force publishers to offer cheaper versions of their textbooks and give students more power over their educations.

Readers can contact Revathy Sampth-Kumar at [email protected].