Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfwreck
Publishers who want to keep DRM schemes that work as "one purchase = 1 readable copy" need to find a way to transfer ownership of that copy, because book purchases have always included the possibility of "I'm done with this; here, you read it next."
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I don't think the right to transfer ownership is a necessity for ebooks. Rights should make sense in the context of the technology. My main concern is that I can use the book I buy in acceptable ways. That doesn't mean every use of a paper book should be transferable to digital. I can't put an ebook under a table leg to stop the table wobbling
. I suppose I could use my $500 Sony Reader for that
Should we have the right to sell/give away a digital copy if we relinquish the 'original'?
Maybe, maybe not. It doesn't make as much sense to me for a digital file as for a physical book. And I think digital pricing will be low enough that there will be no assumed right to resell something when you've finished with it. It will be a more 'disposable' product and attitude.
Are people selling their unwanted MP3s for 20c? I hardly see the point. I recently sold a lot of my books - because they were cluttering up my house. I didn't make any real money off them. The incentive to get rid of junk is not really there when an ebook is a megabyte or so of data.
Also, to sell ebooks would require some proof of ownership (and evidence that the original is being sold, and no copies made). Could that be done without DRM?
Would you buy secondhand digital files? I don't think I would. I'd rather pay a little more and get the 'original', especially if the original is priced low enough - and know that the author is getting their payment.