Music executives seem to have realised that they cannot continue to increase prices forever, especially when their colleagues in the movie business (who have also been plagued by piracy) are putting out DVDs, with extras like director interviews, at prices that rival music CDs.

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Brian Murray, the chief executive of HarperCollins, said in December that e-books enhanced with video, author interviews and social-networking applications could command higher retail prices for publishers than current e-books.

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The prices of basic food items and other goods are increasing daily, according to Iranian media reports and interviews with Tehran residents.

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