Quote:
Originally Posted by 6502programmer
I would disagree with you on this, and that is because of fundamental differences between DVD and ebooks. Specifically, the authenticator of the content in the case of DVD rests in the DVD CSS (Content Scrambling System). With ebooks, a device is given a key to open the encrypted content via a server. If the server goes away, then your ability to access the content protected by it goes away too.
I worry about DRM and losing out on future purchases, particularly when the content is available from other marketplaces (think: B&N folds but Amazon goes on). Major League Baseball shut down their DRM server, leaving customers unable to access the content they'd licensed. Yahoo, Microsoft, and Wal-Mart have all pulled a similar move in no longer supporting the license server for their music stores, which renders the music unusable.
In the case of proprietary content an organization owns, like MLB and their baseball games, it's conceivable that a master key could be released. For music that's still being sold elsewhere, or where the content is being sub-licensed, this is a more dicey proposition. |
A big advantage of the B&N ereader DRM is that the whole encryption is contained within the e-book itself. As long as you know the credit card number and name the book was bought with, you can open the book at any device supporting the DRM.
The B&N ereader DRM does not depend on an online authentication server (unlike Microsoft reader and Adobe Adept) And the books are not tied to the reader hardware (unlike Mobipocket reader and Kindle format).