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Originally Posted by BillSmithBooks
IANAL but I would think that any form of watermark that discloses a customer's CC or banking information MUST be illegal...it probably violates any number of consumer protection/privacy laws or vendor agreements between CC processing companies and vendors.
I would certainly think such watermarks would open up the publishers to lawsuits for breaching customer privacy/banking laws.
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Even if the watermark only discloses the bookstore where the book was purchased, I don't see how the bookstore has any right to disclose information about the purchaser in the absence of a subpoena. IANAL either, and possibly the existence of a copy of a watermarked book on a file-sharing site is enough to warrant the issuance of a subpoena, but ... wouldn't it all pretty drastic and time-consuming for everyone involved? And wouldn't it make it even sharing with a close friend or family member even more problematic than it is now, when you can just remove the DRM? An e-book that you innocently give to one person could end up being uploaded without your knowledge or consent, several steps removed from you, and yet you'd be the one accountable. That makes it worse than ever for the individual purchaser.