Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I strongly suspect that there are few publishers who would be willing to allow libraries to lend ebooks without DRM, and its absence would completely destroy the textbook rental market. Like it or not, DRM has its place.
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Alas, this is just a specific example of a massive problem.
When you have something that requires serious effort to develop but far less to produce and distribute, there is a real problem.
The laws of supply and demand require supply to be limited if the price paid is going to justify the development. But that limit means some must go without. Without Joy (ebooks & music), Hope (textbooks) or life itself (aids drugs).
Needless to say, piracy tends to fill the gap. I personally am all for it because there are other ways to fund development and piracy forces them to be considered.
On such method would be to replace capitalism with bureaucracy. The intellectual property is free to manufacture & distribute but the government takes in more tax and rewards developers according to estimated life improvement. Not entirely sure its the best.
Another is just to leave things much as they are. If the manufacturer's pricing structure leaves people in real need then piracy will fill the gap. It encourages heavy discounting to the needy.