Until when DRM ebooks will haunt us?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

I've seen a more even split between Kindle, Kobo & Sony, went to york last week & the only other 2 people I saw with readers had a Red Sony 650 & an iPad. How I laughed at their overpriced reading devices (OK, so I had the Pyrus mini with me, damn think looks like a fisher price toy, got to feel superior about something right )

I have not seen many Nooks in the wild yet, but that may change after the recent fire sale.

That's interesting, Mike. It's literally ALL Kindles with the people I know - and even the people who read on phones and tablets use the Kindle App .

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's interesting, Mike. It's literally ALL Kindles with the people I know - and even the people who read on phones and tablets use the Kindle App .

Did all the people you know ask you which reader to get, or have a play with it first?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

Did all the people you know ask you which reader to get, or have a play with it first?

There's only one person (actually two - they're a couple) who've bought Kindles on my recommendation. Everyone else bought their Kindle independently, or were given them as presents.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by avantman42

Actually, B&N do now sell in the UK (http://uk.nook.com/). They haven't been here long, though, maybe a year?

They're also supposedly going to be selling in Germany soon too.

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'm sorry you have comprehension trouble.

Perhaps you have comprehension trouble? Taking his statement too literally? It's quite possible that he meant it in the generic sense, and there's nothing to indicate that it must be taken as literally "Kindle and only Kindle".

The underlying meaning was that most people don't care about DRM because they buy books that work with their device and don't think twice about it.

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by Apache

What DRM? All of my books are DRM free thanks to Alf.
Apache

Alf is my BFF.

[soulfuldog]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's interesting, Mike. It's literally ALL Kindles with the people I know - and even the people who read on phones and tablets use the Kindle App .

I'm the same, and if I mention other brands of ereaders generally no one knows what I'm talking about. A few times I've taken my pocket sized Sony to work and someone has stopped to chat and they say, "oh sorry for interrupting you while you're reading your Kindle". I just get blank stares when I say it's a Sony....

The bargain price of the Nook (also the Kobo Mini at £30) must be making some inroads into Amazon's dominance though.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Really? Really?? So you have no data and you're just blowing smoke. All right then.

You just don't get it. I feel for you.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by twowheels

Perhaps you have comprehension trouble? Taking his statement too literally? It's quite possible that he meant it in the generic sense, and there's nothing to indicate that it must be taken as literally "Kindle and only Kindle".

The underlying meaning was that most people don't care about DRM because they buy books that work with their device and don't think twice about it.

Amazon does make their DRM pretty seamless until you want to move an eBook to a different device (not Kindle) or you get your account locked. Then all hell breaks loose because of the DRM.

[DiapDealer]

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!!

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Amazon does make their DRM pretty seamless until you want to move an eBook to a different device (not Kindle) or you get your account locked. Then all hell breaks loose because of the DRM.

Sure, *WE* know that, but he was talking about the vast majority of users who have no idea and are (currently) blissfully unaware.

That said, I personally don't really care too much either. I don't re-read books, except for technical books, which I buy in paper. If the book is cheap enough for me to consider it a one-off expense, I'll buy it, otherwise, I either borrow it from the library, use the Prime Lending Library, or read something else on my overly long to-read list.

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You just don't get it. I feel for you.

[6charlong]

Originally Posted by avid01

Consider this:

-1st there were DRM music
- Now music is DRM free
- Ebooks are still DRM
- Until when?

I haven't dug myself into the background of all this and how the industry works but in your best knowledge how long we will have to use DRM ebooks?

I think it will last as long as the publishers can hang on to DRM.

Look. The people on this forum are all book buyers with a different perspective than the publishers. From the publishers point of view, book piracy is rampant. Walk into a used bookstore anywhere in the world and you see shelf after shelf of pirated books. It's the same thing with Public Libraries: they rebind the books to make them last longer and then they loan the same books over and over without making another payment.

Yes, the publishers sued over those issues a long time ago and lost in court. Naturally they want that revenue as much now as ever, and DRM presents their main chance in many decades to side-step the courts: a new technology so new rules--or at least, the old rules don't apply anymore. DRM with Overdrive, etc., has the public libraries locked down to "pay per read" but not the rest of us. The publishers can argue that books without DRM could be listed on the internet and shared to millions of non-paying pirates.

Okay, that hasn't happened but no one can prove it could never happen.

Therefore, I think it's logical to believe that DRM will remain on eBooks as long as the publishers can keep it there. I don't think they will sue anyone for breaking it unless they can prove that individual bought an eBook, stripped it, and then distributed it on the internet. If they sue someone who merely strips DRM to protect their investment the publishers risk losing the suit and the power to keep on using DRM.

[Ken Maltby]

It's not just the publishers. The major retailers will hang onto DRM as long as they can, for their own reasons. Yes, even those with a proprietary format as a backup.

Luck;
Ken

[AnemicOak]