Your post makes a lot of sense, and I'm mostly in agreement. It's not an uncommon concept, though. Using another car analogy, even though you can only drive one at a time, each requires separate and unique licensing. (I'm aware of the holes in that particular argument, it was just the first thing that came to mind).
Remember, too, that the "rights" are those very specifically and narrowly granted, subject to particular conditions and limitations (that we've all flogged pretty well), and also subject to termination by the grantor at any time for any reason.
Actually, all the parsing of phrases and language in the EULA exemplifies the continuing argument in legislatures and the courts. They (the EULAs) are nasty, vague, cumbersome, and subject to too much interpretation by reasonable people. On that point alone they are lousy tools to grant use of something.
For that reason alone, I would almost be willing to be subjected to an authentication scheme that would abrogate the need for the rather foggy moral and legal quandary this presents.
Maybe a self-terminating subscription of say, 5 bucks a month? Over two years (an approximate lifespan between versions), that would bring the price to $120. Spreads the cost to the consumer (who's paying in inflated dollars over that span, BTW), and from Apple's accounting perspective, a real winner.
