Comment: Re:Because it's valuable, duh. (Score 1) 209
Actually there is a difference between grocery store goods and publications. Grocery stores goods consumption is rival (if I eat this lettuce you cannot eat the same lettuce). Publications and information goods in general are non-rival. Once provided an indefinite number of individuals can use the information from the a publication without depleting it.
The problem with collecting the value of publication is that it is very thinly distributed and very difficult to valuate a priori. So individual producers of the publications don't bother to try to collect on it's value. Publisher houses, working on bulk have the means to collect at least part of the value.
It is arguable that the actual value of all the publications is higher than what is collected by the publishers, and if universally and freely available would generate
even higher returns for society in general. The problem is in determining a priori what is the value of individual publications.
It is also arguable that a the value of a very high percentage of the publications is NULL. We just do not have the means to validate and accredit the value.
The best that can be done is open everything and let time and usage determine true value... Still there are no guarantees..