[Hardboiled]

Part of the problem with eBooks, is there is no viable legal 2nd hand market in them. It's connected with the fact that we don't really own them (the individual copy that is, obviously not the copyright) in the first place. IMV, this has to change. The DRM technology could provide for this, in a similar way to how Overdrive works, i.e, if you sold your book, your device/s serial number access is removed.

Most people are casual readers, if they read at all, and perhaps might buy 2 or 3 physical books a year. For such people an eReader would not be very viable, nor would it really occur to them, as even a pc doesn't when they have a mobile smartphone and tablet, for most all their needs. But even they can see that a physical book may be an investment of a modest type. Whereas an eBook has no such value.

If digital copies had such a value and it was explicit in law, that we owned such a copy, for the right of individual and personal resale, then eBook sales (Or music and films too) would grow even faster. Notwithstanding we may still have to buy both an ePub and Amazon version, as we might buy a hardback and softback one.

The cost of printing adds considerably, to the publisher, especially POD, or small runs. This is why often the closeness in pricing between the eBook and physical ones, means the publishers get a much bigger mark up from eBooks but then the facility to pirate the former is infinitely higher too, so whilst it may seem unfair, the publisher knows they have the one crack at it really, if you'll excuse the pun. I believe, whilst not removing this occupational hazard a change in the law, for consumer ownership of digital copies, would in some way help.