Checking for DRM

[HowardBrazee]

What rules should someone use in buying books on-line if he doesn't want DRM?

[ATDrake]

1) Learn which stores serve DRM-books, which stores don't, and which stores do a mix and if there are ever any exceptions.

For example, Kobo books seem to be always DRM, even if the publisher normally sells them non-DRM direct from their website, such as happens with Carina Press, an offshoot of Harlequin romances.

Conversely, computer book publisher O'Reilly is proudly DRM-free and MultiFormat for all its titles purchased directly from their website, and even gives you free updates and a discount on the e-book if you purchased the physical copy. Baen does a similar thing via its Webscriptions service for sf/fantasy, not just for their own published books, but also for those from other participating sf/fantasy imprints.

In between, Amazon allows publishers to pick DRM-or-not, but they obfuscate this info for the end-user by code-wording it as "Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited" in the Product Details section on their website.

Similarly, B&N seem to offer books from particular publishers DRM-free (all the Ellora's Cave and Samhain Publishing romance freebies I've picked up from them have been non-DRM), but with no indication until I tried dropping the files onto a non-DRM supporting software reader and didn't get the usual error message.

Fictionwise is much more open, in that it flat-out states that some books are "Secure", and others "MultiFormat", and explains and labels each accordingly.

2) Once you have your list and know the rules, stick to the vendors you think you can trust for the books you want, provided they carry them to begin with.

3) In case of mistaken purchase, Google and taking the time to learn certain command-line skills will be your friends.

4) Also familiarize yourself with Public Domain and Creative Commons repositories.

Hope this helps.

[taming]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

1) For example, Kobo books seem to be always DRM, even if the publisher normally sells them non-DRM direct from their website, such as happens with Carina Press, an offshoot of Harlequin romances.

Some Kobo books are non-DRM. The issue for me is that when you are shopping on your computer--you can't know which are, and which are not. I have heard that the ADE servers do not add in DRM for DRM free books, but I do not know that with any degree of certainty. I do know that I have been able to download DRM free ePUb books directly into Calibre from Kobobooks and these books continue to not have DRM.

Corey Doctorow makes the point that kobo does sell DRM-free books when he explains which sites he will allow his books to be sold on, and which he will not. See: http://www.teleread.com/copy-right/c...sony-hold-out/

I’m happy to report that Amazon, to its eternal credit, was delighted to offer my e-books without DRM and with the anti-EULA license language, as was Barnes & Noble and Kobo.