Quote:
Originally Posted by markbot
If governments in the developed world are serious about environmental conservation, they should seriously consider a 20% tax on new paper books in order to benefit the adoption of ebooks. Ebooks take a lower toll on the environment.
This would get publishers to start pushing ebooks more than hardcovers, which are a COMPLETE WASTE of paper, energy, and space.
The tax funds would go to libraries to purchase ebooks.
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Starting at the end, the tax funds would go into the great tax fund pie, none of which would reach the library. Libraries are generally funded from local property taxes.
Publishers do not really care about the taxes that are added onto their books at the cash register. Of course it would be advantageous for many publishers to rid the world of pbooks under their current TOS. No used books or second hand sales.(Do I smell book burning and the desire for pubishers to control the world here
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Conservation has already been addressed in part, but if this is a valid arguement, you should address newspapers, junk mail, and the "free" publications that are pushed on you as you enter/leave transit stops and are in boxes all over the city where I live. More paper being expended there daily than all the pbooks being sold weekly IMO.
Responsible governments have traditionally supported old technology such as AM radio, non digital TV signals etc. Why would they set out to destroy a way of reading that has gone on for several centuries.
Helen