The death of print ... (or, does DRM drive you to piracy?)

Sonist · 12-17-2009, 10:10 PM

First, a short poll regarding DRM-ed titles.

Then, this from the Huff Post:

The Death of Print Doesn't Have to Mean the Death of Publishing

But, Steve Haber is delusional about having "the right DRM measures in place."

DRM is what makes this cartoon ring so true:

cartoon is from http://xkcd.com/488/

Greg Anos · 12-17-2009, 10:21 PM

I'd like to state the correlary...

(Sorry, I can't even draw stick figures! or spell.)

Dear creative artist.

Would you like to try for the brass ring of your work being remembered 500 years from now?

If so, don't ever DRM your work. Otherwise, it won't even be usable 50 years from now.

On the other hand, creative artist, if what you want is to make the most money up front as the "flavor of the week", and don't care whether your work is remembered week after next, then use the toughest DRM you can find...

HansTWN · 12-17-2009, 11:05 PM

I cannot choose any of the options. I would refuse to purchase and wait for a version with DRM that I can remove. But I would not go for the pirated file.

Alisa · 12-17-2009, 11:10 PM

I answered that I would buy that title but that's only true for something I really want to read. If I'm lukewarm about it, I skip it altogether.

montsnmags · 12-17-2009, 11:49 PM

I picked option 3, since you are of course talking about ebooks, but what I'd actually do would be buy the pbook (assuming there is one, and it's a book I really wanted now).

Cheers,
Marc

dmaul1114 · 12-18-2009, 12:09 AM

Still purchase. Have a kindle, don't really mind DRM as I buy stuff I'll only read once.

If it's the rare book I want to re-read, I'll buy the hardcover cheap sometime down the road.

Donnageddon · 12-18-2009, 12:25 AM

Buy the unbreakable DRM version, then get the pirate version for posterity.

Everyone wins!

lene1949 · 12-18-2009, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donnageddon

Buy the unbreakable DRM version, then get the pirate version for posterity.

Everyone wins!

That sounds perfect! I have a lot of books on my Palm, bought from Fictionwise in secure e-reader format over a 5 year period. I would love to get them on my Hanvon in epub format.

DawnFalcon · 12-18-2009, 02:03 AM

Option D: Buy the print book second hand.

Crusader · 12-18-2009, 02:47 AM

For anyone outside the US I think geo-restrictions are a larger problem than DRM. I could live with a DRM-ed copy provided I can buy it. Most of the authors I'm interested in simply don't have ebooks available for purchase in my country. Fictionwise (as an example) has only 23 secure ePub books in Sci-fi available to me - non by authors I'm interested in. Geo restrictions are far more likely to drive me to piracy.

EowynCarter · 12-18-2009, 03:04 AM

If I can't get DRM off, i don't buy. For music, i bought the cd instead, for book, i'll sooner get the paperback.

Crusader, geo-restriction ARE drm.

Moejoe · 12-18-2009, 03:13 AM

DRM used to drive me to piracy, now it just drives me away. Any writer or publisher who allows DRM on their work I bypass altogether. There's plenty of great fiction available without clueless DRM schemes and I won't put another penny into a system that promotes DRM.

Crusader · 12-18-2009, 03:13 AM

I've always viewed them as 2 seperate issues, but I guess that geo-restrictions are yet another form of drm.

HansTWN · 12-18-2009, 03:35 AM

Still quite easy to get around those geo restrictions.

omk3 · 12-18-2009, 05:32 AM

Option 3 for me! Definitely!
I just don't feel secure with drm, and I want to share books within my family, without parting with my device.

View Poll Results: If a title has DRM which you cannot strip, do you:
Still purchase the title, even if locked to a device/server	45	23.56%
Look for alternatives, including "pirate" sites, but if not found, purchase the DRM-ed title	30	15.71%
Refuse to purchase, either wait for a breakable DRM version, or "pirate"	116	60.73%
Voters: 191. You may not vote on this poll

12-17-2009, 10:10 PM	#1
Sonist Apeist Posts: 2,126 Karma: 381090 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The sunny part of California Device: Generic virtual reality story-experiential device	The death of print ... (or, does DRM drive you to piracy?) First, a short poll regarding DRM-ed titles. Then, this from the Huff Post: The Death of Print Doesn't Have to Mean the Death of Publishing But, Steve Haber is delusional about having "the right DRM measures in place." DRM is what makes this cartoon ring so true: cartoon is from http://xkcd.com/488/ Last edited by Sonist; 12-17-2009 at 10:31 PM.

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12-17-2009, 10:21 PM	#2
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,247 Karma: 35000000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	I'd like to state the correlary... (Sorry, I can't even draw stick figures! or spell.) Dear creative artist. Would you like to try for the brass ring of your work being remembered 500 years from now? If so, don't ever DRM your work. Otherwise, it won't even be usable 50 years from now. On the other hand, creative artist, if what you want is to make the most money up front as the "flavor of the week", and don't care whether your work is remembered week after next, then use the toughest DRM you can find...

12-17-2009, 11:05 PM	#3
HansTWN Wizard Posts: 4,538 Karma: 264065402 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Taiwan Device: HP Touchpad, Sony Duo 13, Lumia 920, Kobo Aura HD	I cannot choose any of the options. I would refuse to purchase and wait for a version with DRM that I can remove. But I would not go for the pirated file.

12-17-2009, 11:10 PM	#4
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	I answered that I would buy that title but that's only true for something I really want to read. If I'm lukewarm about it, I skip it altogether.

12-17-2009, 11:49 PM	#5
montsnmags Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,155 Karma: 4632658 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: none	I picked option 3, since you are of course talking about ebooks, but what I'd actually do would be buy the pbook (assuming there is one, and it's a book I really wanted now). Cheers, Marc

12-18-2009, 12:09 AM	#6
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	Still purchase. Have a kindle, don't really mind DRM as I buy stuff I'll only read once. If it's the rare book I want to re-read, I'll buy the hardcover cheap sometime down the road.

12-18-2009, 12:25 AM	#7
Donnageddon Now you lishen here... Posts: 2,494 Karma: 479498 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Seattle-ish Device: Sony PRS-650. Kobo Touch, Kindle Fire	Buy the unbreakable DRM version, then get the pirate version for posterity. Everyone wins!

12-18-2009, 02:03 AM	#9
DawnFalcon Banned Posts: 2,094 Karma: 2682 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: N/A	Option D: Buy the print book second hand.

12-18-2009, 02:47 AM	#10
Crusader Space Cadet Posts: 1,180 Karma: 4030536 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: South Africa Device: Sony PRS-T1, Cybook Opus, Kobo Glo	For anyone outside the US I think geo-restrictions are a larger problem than DRM. I could live with a DRM-ed copy provided I can buy it. Most of the authors I'm interested in simply don't have ebooks available for purchase in my country. Fictionwise (as an example) has only 23 secure ePub books in Sci-fi available to me - non by authors I'm interested in. Geo restrictions are far more likely to drive me to piracy.

12-18-2009, 03:04 AM	#11
EowynCarter Wizard Posts: 4,332 Karma: 4000000 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Paris Device: Cybooks; Sony PRS-T1	If I can't get DRM off, i don't buy. For music, i bought the cd instead, for book, i'll sooner get the paperback. Crusader, geo-restriction ARE drm.

12-18-2009, 03:13 AM	#12
Moejoe Banned Posts: 5,100 Karma: 72193 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South of the Border Device: Coffin	DRM used to drive me to piracy, now it just drives me away. Any writer or publisher who allows DRM on their work I bypass altogether. There's plenty of great fiction available without clueless DRM schemes and I won't put another penny into a system that promotes DRM.

12-18-2009, 03:35 AM	#14
HansTWN Wizard Posts: 4,538 Karma: 264065402 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Taiwan Device: HP Touchpad, Sony Duo 13, Lumia 920, Kobo Aura HD	Still quite easy to get around those geo restrictions.

12-18-2009, 05:32 AM	#15
omk3 Wizard Posts: 1,454 Karma: 37243 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Europe Device: pocketbook 360, kindle 4	Option 3 for me! Definitely! I just don't feel secure with drm, and I want to share books within my family, without parting with my device.