Sure, artificial scarcity isn't required, there are lots of ways around it as many alternative business models have shown. My argument is they aren't always bet

Sure, artificial scarcity isn't required, there are lots of ways around it as many alternative business models have shown. My argument is they aren't always better. When you bring advertising into the equation, the end user is no longer the customer. And the incentives become more page views etc rather than designing a product the end user desires. I don't see the problem with having a hybrid system. Just because some music os sold as MP3s, doesn't stop anybody from releasing crowd funded music.