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Comment by chrisro | Hacker News Reader

If the publishers continue down this road, we're closing in on ebooks becoming time-based licenses to view content instead of things you "own."

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I bought an ebook today from Amazon and it had the option to "rent" it. Wow. I can't even believe how quickly I was right. The paperback copy of this book was $28, the ebook was $15, and the cost to rent started at $8. I assume rental cost increases based on the length of time (shortest period of rent being 30 days), but I was in a hurry and didn't have a chance to mess with the options.

Frankly, I'd be perfectly fine with that if the costs were scaled down to reflect the limited use. As it is I feel ebooks are largely overpriced given how much less you can do with them than a dead tree book.

Micropayments (one obvious implication) seem like a great idea until every click starts to cost you money. The problem with buying information in general is that evaluating a purchase has a mental cost. Do you want to think "should I?" before you click on a link? I don't.

Judging by their move to ebooks, the cost will only be marginally scaled down.

I do really look forward to a distribution system that will benefit content creators and be convenient and fair to consumers. I just don't know what it looks like. It's an excellent opportunity for someone with an idea, though.

And when you are no longer allowed to keep the version that reflects poorly on some now powerful person?

Ownership isn't just a matter of objects and revenue. It is control of information.

Exactly. The content racketeers like to tar their opponents as "spoiled children who want free w4r3z." But the fight is really about control over the means of distribution; which translates into control over culture in general.

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