[Moonraker]

Book publishers have a lot to learn from the debacles of the music and movie industries.
Just because e-books haven't caught on in great numbers yet does not mean publishers can be complacent. Publishers should get in quick – while the numbers are low — to set up their business models in readiness. Now that evolving e-ink technology is upon us, the time will soon come when millions will want e-books. Put an e-reading device in the hands of a child and he will grow up to associate enjoyment of literature with the device and will lose his affiliation with paper books. People are also more aware of global warming and what they can do to help. Trees are a great way to reduce greenhouse gases because they absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the air. Read an e-book — save a tree!

The mistake the Music and Movie industries made was trying to shut the stable door after the horse had bolted. I can't remember the date when they sued Napster out of existence (2000?) But I believe that if they had tried to do a deal with Napster to get revenue from each download at the time, this may have opened up a new income stream and set the pattern for other evolving p2p networks. As it is, it's too late for any of that now, the dam has broken, the internet is flooded and the AA's can't stem the tide. How naïve they are to assume their old-fashioned business model will last forever. As they continue their death march into irrelevance new developers and users of technology will take up where they left off.

The AA's may have won a few battles, but we all know very well who is going to win the war.

Publishers, please embrace this new technology. Give us digital books, newspapers, magazines and comics. Release your copyrighted out-of-print back catalogues. We don't expect to get them for free but we expect sensible prices and fair use.