The most interesting part for me is the quote from Doubleday's LeBaron R. Barker: "Paperbacks could undermine the whole structure of publishing."
That sounds very reminiscent of modern-day publisher's demands of restrictive and onerous DRM shackles for their ebooks, because DRM-free ebooks might "undermine the whole structure of publishing." Sadly entrenched businesses can't always see the more-profitable future, and demand things like DRM to protect their short-term profits at the expense of consumers and culture.
It does sound reminiscent doesn't it. I tweeted the story because music/movie/software execs need to learn a new business model. Entrenching oneself in the old mind set is a good way to move into extinction.
That sounds very reminiscent of modern-day publisher's demands of restrictive and onerous DRM shackles for their ebooks, because DRM-free ebooks might "undermine the whole structure of publishing." Sadly entrenched businesses can't always see the more-profitable future, and demand things like DRM to protect their short-term profits at the expense of consumers and culture.