This book? https://www.amazon.com/Superdistribution-Objects-Property-El...

Strong vibes of the dot-com era reading the description but there's probably one or two insights there worth revisiting. Ordered! :)

More on another of Cox's signature ideas – about which he wrote a book[1] – 'Superdistribution':

http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/2.09/superdis_pr.html

The gist is to stop charging for software (including subcomponents like shared libraries and reusable objects) per copy, or by copy-based-licensing.

Instead, charge (tiny amounts) per use. Theoretically, this could cure underinvestment in the creation of certain shared components, or in software quality/reliability. It's somewhat related to the idea from Ted Nelson that hypertext transclusion could also route automatic incremental reuse payments.

Of course, enforcing the metering can be hard. (You need either DRM or cheerful voluntary compliance.) And all the usual issues with micropayments apply. But it's an interesting idea and the currently-vibrant in-app/in-game models resemble it in some respects.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Superdistribution-Objects-Property-Ele...

Brad Cox is the original creator and has two very interesting books.

Object-Oriented Programming: An Evolutionary Approach - this one covers an early version of Obj-C http://www.amazon.com/Object-Oriented-Programming-An-Evoluti...

Superdistribution: Objects as Property on the Electronic Frontier - economics of software components - http://www.amazon.com/Superdistribution-Objects-Property-Ele...

http://www.amazon.com/Superdistribution-Objects-Property-Ele...