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I’ve been a long time lurker, but felt compelled to finally post since the conversation turned to capitalism/economics.
While many involved in this discussion seem to feel the issue is one of copyright, I think the REAL issue is that of artificial scarcity.
For most people, economics is the study of resource allocation in the presence of scarcity. That only makes sense when there is scarcity, and in the world of digital goods (ebooks, etextbooks, music, etc.), scarcity doesn't exist.
The textbook industry's resistance to the application of new technology hinges on their belief that the free market cannot function with a lack of scarcity. It is not difficult to see why publishers would feel threatened ... it's how they've been doing business since Gutenberg and before. Their current business model is based on a desire to force scarcity where there is none, just so the economics they are accustomed to can continue to be based on the principle of scarcity.
I think the inability to get rid of scarcity thinking lies at the root of this discussion, not copyright.
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