This comes down to the distinction between labor-value and use-value, and how they relate to exchange-value. The marginal labor-value of information is zero, th

This comes down to the distinction between labor-value and use-value, and how they relate to exchange-value. The marginal labor-value of information is zero, therefore the exchange-value should also approach zero. However, if there is an artificial constraint on supply, the exchange-value can be driven up until it approaches the use-value. So naturally shortsighted publishers have every incentive to come up with increasingly hair-brained schemes to artificially constrain supply.