You're completely right, publishers don't need to use the micropayment model. I meant, and should have said, that publishers aren't adopting a low-friction, sin

You're completely right, publishers don't need to use the micropayment model. I meant, and should have said, that publishers aren't adopting a low-friction, single-account payment service, of which micropayments are only one. This is still a massive issue, however. Because the internet makes most online publishers global, consumers have access to many more content sources, and so if even if publishers adjust their subscription prices to match the lower distribution costs and larger audiences that they have access to, the effort of signing up for more than just one or two subscriptions will be much more than most consumers (including me) want to invest.