The higher education textbook publishing industry faces systemic crises and structural challenges amid advancing artificial intelligence (AI) technology and an evolving intellectual property protection framework. Through empirical research methods, case analysis, and industry data examination, this paper identifies three core dilemmas in textbook copyright protection: piracy infringement exhibiting characteristics of industrialized chain operations, institutional infringement trending towards concealment and systematization, and AI technology profoundly replacing traditional textbook functions. By analyzing the circulation mechanisms of pirated materials on e-commerce platforms and around campuses, infringement pathways through university libraries and Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platforms, and the restructuring effect of AI-generated content (AIGC) technology on teaching paradigms, this paper highlights the imbalance between technological iteration and institutional lag in traditional copyright protection models. The methodology incorporates policy text analysis, technology application evaluation, and multi-stakeholder interviews to develop a three-dimensional governance model of "technical protection — product reconstruction — institutional coordination." At the technical level, it emphasizes demonstrating the practical effectiveness of the "one book, one code" traceability system and intelligent monitoring network in blocking the circulation of pirated resources. At the product level, it explores development pathways for AIGC-based textbook intelligence agents and co-construction of intelligent courses, facilitating textbooks' evolution from static content repositories to dynamic teaching instruments. At the institutional level, it proposes a tripartite co-governance mechanism of "strict legislative punishment —platform accountability—educational guidance" to strengthen cross-departmental coordination and source governance capabilities. The findings demonstrate that through practical implementations of systems such as Tsinghua University Press's "Wenquan Cloud Disk" and East China Normal University Press's "Code Steward, " as well as industry collaborations like the "Beijing 15 Publishers Anti-Piracy Alliance, " replicable copyright governance models have been locally formed. The promotion and use of intelligent textbooks have significantly enhanced user engagement and genuine product conversion rates. For example, the annual sales of "Data Structure" published by Tsinghua University Press reached nearly 70 000 copies, reflecting the effectiveness of the "content + service" model in replacing pirated versions. This study concludes that sustainable development of higher education textbook publishing in the technological revolution era requires the comprehensive integration of technological empowerment, product innovation, and institutional coordination to establish a robust "creation — protection — innovation" ecosystem.