It's all just money. Who's gonna buy tab books if you can get it on the net for free? As you say, the inaccuracy of internet tab is the only thing that ever kept the printer in business.

Just go to any of the number of russian hosted sites where tab is still freely available. It's not going to change, I would imagine that it'll get tighter if anything. The only angle I understand on it is the protection of intellectual property - it would p*ss me off if someone took one of my songs, tabbed it wrong and put it on the internet.

I'd like someone out there to put together an iTunes style tab solution that would allow you to download individual tracks for a few pence/cents/whatever. You almost always only want a track or two, which is why you don't buy the book.

A more optimistic way to view it would be it finally pushes this generation of lazy 'musicians' to develop their ear and transcription skills.... I think the tab sites have made it too easy to play other people's material but as a consequence there are fewer 'artists' emerging....