SJS's Journal: Copyright and Scarcity

I'm a bit annoyed at the use of Copyright to stop the publication of a work. Specifically, a rulebook for tabletop gaming.

I understand, and support, paying the creator for his work by granting a limited monopoly for a period of time. Copyright isn't generally a BAD thing.

But when it's used to KEEP works from being published (presumably so the users will be forced to upgrade to a later version), it seems to violate the spirit of the law, and I wonder if perhaps there isn't a way to fix that. Mandatory licensing if the work in question is out of print for more than three years?