[slightwinder]

Is there a legal obligation to use ISBN? AFAIK it's a free choice of companies, for the single reason that it's beneficial. ICANN is similar, their services are optional, and the main complaint is that one country has too much control.

> Why isn’t ISBN funded and run by a government agency, like the U.S. Trademark Office?

ISBN is used globally, why should a US agency control it? Especially when it's not even originates from the USA?