In the future, nobody will pay for a single copy of a book. We will pay for
access. And it will be unlimited and unrestrained.
Everybody will share everything, and authors will be paid per-quality rather than per-copy.
They'll cry for some years after the legalized thieves spoiling them, but in the long term they'll just write better books. Or not write at all.
Of course hardcopies will be paid, but as
objects, not content. Content is already paid for with access.
Mp3 sharing rings who pay licenses are already on the way...