E-books, of course, are , but sales are going strong nevertheless, reaching for the months of January and February 2011, according to the Association of American Publishers. That's an increase of almost 170 percent compared with the same period in 2010.

But current e-reading technology is fundamentally bad for people, says Richard Stallman, founder of the free software movement and the GNU Project. In an article entitled, , Stallman makes the case that e-books are "a step backward from printed books."

'More Restrictive Than Copyright Law'

Books printed on paper can be purchased anonymously with cash without signing any kind of license that restricts the purchaser's use of the book, Stallman notes. No proprietary technology is required, and it's sometimes even lawful under copyright to scan and copy the book.

Once it's paid, the purchaser owns the book, and no one has the power to destroy it.