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For me, in most cases, buying an ebook license is preferable to buying a paper book. If the choice was between buying an ebook license and 'owning' the ebook outright price would be the determining factor.
We do not have that choice and if we did I would expect a license to cost significantly less. I don't expect an ebook license to cost less than a paper book because their are significant differences, the important one for me is ebooks are more convenient.
I've paid a lot for convenience in my life I am sure. For 50 cents I can bake a loaf of bread and sometimes I do, but often I pay $3+ for a baked loaf that is not as tasty and $5 for a bakery loaf. And I can't even resell the bread after I have eaten it.
And I have seen many people who invariably have a tuna salad or a ham sandwich for lunch at a restaurant for $5-$15 while it is pretty easy to slap some mayo and ham and lettuce between 2 slices of bread for under $2.
Of course food does have a limited ownership as eventually it will disappear into your stomach or a moldy mess.
Maybe leasing/renting a car or a property or even a steam cleaner is similar in concept. Of course with these you have the ongoing payments. A lot cheaper for a one time use but can be far more expensive long term.
And most people have valid reasons for choosing renting over owning or convenience over cost.
As APK said it is important to know what you want and why you want it and what you are willing to pay to have things exactly to your liking.
I would pay a small sum extra for an ebook edition if I really wanted the book. Doubtful I would pay double. I would buy paper or do without. I don't expect anyone to sell me something on my terms. It is their product and their right to make the terms especially on a convenience product. (I am speaking as a privileged person living in a reasonable society here, I know that it is not the same everywhere)
I prefer to own if the cost is less long term and I will use it weekly or even monthly, and I have room to store it. I would think that if it becomes viable to sell ebooks with the same terms as paper books, the cost would go up and the convenience would go down. Would most people leap at the chance to pay more for less if the only benefit was ownership and the absolute right of resale?
Ebooks cost the same long term or significantly less if borrowing from the library. They don't charge you extra to read it again. No storage, easy to buy from home and instant gratification.
Outright ownership would provide me with little benefit. I can't gaze fondly upon it, or display it in a cabinet for the world to see, even with a paper book I never enjoyed reading the ones I bought any differently than those I borrowed.
And the danger of them being taken away? Could happen and has although I think they were all given back, but that is one incident in maybe 100,000 or so? Not too long ago that all unapproved books were confiscated in China with additional dire consequences to the owner.
Helen
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