Quote:
Originally Posted by stxopher
Orrrrrr...you could look at it like this...
|
In my house, it worked like this:
Dad: Well, son, now that you have a new bike, you should give your old bike to someone who doesn't have one.
Son:
Dad: Your cousin Fred doesn't have a bike. I'll call your aunt Edna.
Son: Right, Dad.
See how easy? But corporations don't run like households.
As I mentioned earlier, the e-book market is still too new and misunderstood to many of the players. In the past, it made more sense to let a book fall out of print when the sales numbers dropped to a low-enough level to make it unprofitable to continue printing, storing and shelving them. E-books change that equation, but too few have run the numbers and decided to make the change in old habits that will allow e-book re-releases of old books. A publishing house isn't a home. There's no one in a position like my father in his household, who can just stand up and say, "Do it," and it just gets done.
Corporations (and authors) will eventually come to the right conclusion, but because of the nature of the publishing business, it's going to take more time for it to sink in and get applied.
@Milarepa: A lot of laws reflect actions that are not "inherently evil," like stealing a candy bar, or spitting on the sidewalk. Nonetheless, some laws are applied in the interest of social order and harmony... IOW, fairness.
E-books do not represent the classical notion of a "physical object to be owned." But at the same time, they do represent a "product," in this case, an instructional or entertainment "product" much like a TV program. As such, they represent a product that can earn revenue for the owner/creator, though because of its essential electronic nature, must be handled differently than a physical product. (Note: The repackaging of TV programs and movies into DVDs changes their essential nature from "product" to "physical object," making it even easier for producer/creators to make clear profits from their work.)
FCC laws over broadcast, cable and satellite delivery systems are not applied to TV programs in order to combat evil, but to ensure fairness. They do their job pretty well, too: We get TV shows, producers get their profits, and everybody is satisfied (notwithstanding the standard fee complaints).
Similar systems can be applied to e-books, though because of the easy communication of electronic files over the internet, additional effort must be done to smooth out the differences between sovereign states, or to (somehow) limit and control transactions where there are conflicts. As difficult or involved as that may sound, a fair understanding between sovereigns is possible, and if enough money is at stake, effort will be spent to level the playing field (or keep some players off). That effort will have to fight through a lot of "churn," but it's entirely possible, and if enough people desire it, likely.