> Actually it's highly usual... CUSIPs... there's nothing to stop you from setting up your own, alternative... numbering system
I don't think there's anything natural about the mandatory use of copyrighted CUSIP identifiers in regulatory reporting. When SEC publishes its quarterly list of 13F securities it includes a disclaimer that it does so "with permission" from the copyright holder. My city doesn't pay royalties or seek approvals when it records and processes car license plate numbers for parking enforcement. The copyright holder seems actively involved in rulemaking that has the potential to diminish the role CUSIPs play in mandatory regulatory reporting.
The government doesn't require books to have ISBNs, so why should issuing them be the government's problem?
There's nothing to stop you from setting up your own, alternative book numbering system that nobody cares about if you think you can do a better job.