Is it possible to have second-hand ebooks? Maybe sorta, says Nick Harkaway in a story on Futurebook.

“It does sound a bit like a bad gag or a swindle,” he notes, because “What’s actually happening, of course, is not the transfer of a physical object, but the transfer of access rights or data. Data don’t depreciate, so there’s no real reason to discount the product because it’s been used.” So re-selling is of no benefit to anyone.”

However, he postulates:

Suppose you could return your ebooks if you decided you didn’t want them, in exchange for a given value, to be redeemed against further ebook purchases? You’d never get back the full value – and your supplier might choose to say you could only ever get a maximum of 25% off any given single purchase, so you’d have to bank credit.

And/or…

What if you could retain access to your own book files, but get a similar reward by selling them on as well? That turns every fan of a book into a reseller.

Both of these options have the additional benefit to the publisher that they get to keep selling the same thing in a way they never have before with second hand books. The consumer gets cheaper stuff and the assurance of a virus free download… and of course, the buoyant continuance of the industry, which isn’t bad in itself.