A truth about technological progress that I am coming to realize is almost universal is "that which empowers also enfeebles".
I'm thinking right now about the move from physical paper books to digital.
There's a huge "MIT used book sale" happening today. That kind of thing just doesn't happen in the digital book universe.
It COULD in a fair world, but yay unconstrained megacorp capitalism, it currently can't.
No reason Amazon couldn't set up a system where I could transfer my Kindle books to anyone for $0 or some fee if that's what I was going for. But this will never happen because from their perspective it would represent investment without return, and a diminishment of sales on new titles.
Stupid, myopic narrow minded thinking will kill us all.