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<<"I read once that the average pass-around for a paper book is 7 readers."
I'm not questioning you, but the source of that statement. >>
I want to say that I read it in Publisher's Weekly, but I can't trust my memory on these things. But regardless of the source, I don't know how you would measure something like that scientifically. Since 63% of all statistics are just made up by the writer, your skepticism is justified.
A lot of the things we buy have a pass-around circulation, including houses and cars. The original manufacturer sells the product once and doesn't make another dime as it changes hands. The difference with ebooks is that you can give it away and still have it.
As a thought experiment (aka as a "daydream") I imagine that I have the ability to duplicate objects. If I bought a big ol' flat screen TV, would it be ethical to duplicate it for a friend? How about...for all of my friends? What if none of them was in the market for a TV...would that be costing the manufacturer sales or not? Is it right for me to boost my ego and status by giving away someone else's hard labor?
With ebooks and other electronic content, that's exactly the situation we have.
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