Libraries now charge for music and videos and this must be a step in the right direction. Most of the information on the Internet is free but there is no guarantee that it is all factual. However, despite not always being trustworthy, it is a useful resource for information. Government information, especially, is excellent and the Internet is as good a place as any for accessing this information. A further point made was that less developed countries may not have access to information only available on the Internet.
Information is an economic good and there is a huge disparity worldwide.
Information is vital for economic growth but if there is no market for it the value of the information will not be recognised. If we recognise that information is an economic good it has to be paid for. The cost of producing information has to be earned by return - the cost of reproducing information is nil. We are discussing issues that have always been there, not just since electronic media has become an issue. There can be a concept of fair dealing but not as it stands with paper copies.