DRM

[lene1949]

I don't know where to put this question, so if it's in the wrong place, please move it...

I have read a of about DRM - most times negative, sometimes positive....

I have no idea what it is... Can someone enlighten me?

Thanks

[Jonas777]

It's Digital Rights Management or Digital Restrictions Management, see < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management >. It is something publishers believe is absolutely necessary but consumers fear.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Jonas777

It's Digital Rights Management or Digital Restrictions Management, see < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management >. It is something publishers believe is absolutely necessary but consumers fear.

I really don't think that the typical consumer gives two hoots about it. People are used to it - pretty much everyone buys DVD with DRM region encoding.

[Dave_S]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I really don't think that the typical consumer gives two hoots about it. People are used to it - pretty much everyone buys DVD with DRM region encoding.

Only going by the few people that I personally know, server based DRM for books is disliked because it is so unwieldy and cumbersome. One older guy I know just gave up in frustration when trying to recover all the books he lost when he bought a new computer and gave his reformatted old computer to his granddaughter. Regional restrictions on DVDs is very unobtrusive, so you are probably right that most people don't notice it. It is also quite easy to buy DVD players that do not honor regional restrictions.

[pdurrant]

DVDs not only have region encoding (which you can avoid with multi-region players), but they're all also encoded with CSS encryption.

Which is why iTunes will happily convert your CDs into AAC format for playing on your iPod, but it won't convert your DVDs into a compressed digital format for playing on your iPod Video, because that would break the American DMCA, and similar laws in other countries.

This is a case where DRM (& associated laws) is clearly detrimental to the consumer. And the consumer would be cross about it, if they realised what was going on.

There was the amusing incident of Barack Obama presenting Gordon Brown with a set of DVDs which didn't work on Mr Brown's DVD player!

Originally Posted by HarryT

I really don't think that the typical consumer gives two hoots about it. People are used to it - pretty much everyone buys DVD with DRM region encoding.

[pdurrant]

DRM - Digital Rights Management - is any one of a variety of methods used to prevent digital products being copied freely.

Usually it involves encrypting the ebook. Of course, for the purchaser to be able to read the encrypted ebook, the software or device used to read the ebook must contain the decryption key.

DRM is a problem for several reasons.

1. It doesn't prevent unauthorised copying - most DRM systems have been broken*, and paper books can be scanned.
2. Publishers have to pay the DRM system providers a per-book fee for DRM
3. If you change your ebook reader to a device that uses a different format, you can't read your old books on it
4. If the DRM provider closes down, you're unable to move your books to a new device
5. Even when it's working properly, buying a new reader or moving to a new computer usually requires you to re-download your ebooks, as the ebooks need to be re-encoded for the new device.

I stopped buying DRMed ebooks for about five years from 2003 to 2008 because of these problems. I only started buying them again because of the appearance of DRM removal scripts.


* By 'broken' I don't mean that the encryption can be removed from any file with no other info. All the DRM removal schemes around require you to have the decryption key. Luckily, these are readily available, as your device of software must contain the key.

Originally Posted by lene1949

I don't know where to put this question, so if it's in the wrong place, please move it...

I have read a of about DRM - most times negative, sometimes positive....

I have no idea what it is... Can someone enlighten me?

Thanks

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by lene1949

I don't know where to put this question, so if it's in the wrong place, please move it...

I have read a of about DRM - most times negative, sometimes positive....

I have no idea what it is... Can someone enlighten me?

Thanks

Most any question on eBooks can be researched on our wiki (click on the top of the page). In this case DRM.

Dale

[lene1949]

Thank you all

I did do a search on DRM, but only found lots of posts containing the 'word'... Never even thought of looking at the Wiki...

[Lemurion]

DRM = "Don't Read Me"

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I really don't think that the typical consumer gives two hoots about it. People are used to it - pretty much everyone buys DVD with DRM region encoding.

But, DVDs do not need the formatting fixed. DVDs will play in pretty much most DVD players. It's not the same as eBooks. I can buy any standard DVD I want out of Best Buy in the US and it will work on my DVD player. Same with standard DVDs bought in the UK. Now, eBooks do not work the same. Too many formats and DRM just adds to the hassle. And I do find a lot of eBooks would be better with a format fix. So DRM is yet again in the way.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I really don't think that the typical consumer gives two hoots about it. People are used to it - pretty much everyone buys DVD with DRM region encoding.

Everybody I know care about and do buy region free players. That is so they can ignore what region a DVD is in when they buy it.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

There was the amusing incident of Barack Obama presenting Gordon Brown with a set of DVDs which didn't work on Mr Brown's DVD player!

That is a good one. Did the secret service remove the region code for Gordon Brown?