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The reason a lot of people go looking for illegal ebooks is because the books they want are not available or not available in a format they can read. I cannot read eReader format on my PRS500. Nor can I break the DRM to be able to convert. So if I see a book I want in eReader only format, I either read it on my computer or I get it in pbook format. But if I know where to look, I go have a look and see if I can find an electronic copy I can convert and read. This babel of ebook formats is hurting the ebook market. It's not helping.
Lets say I bought an ebook from Amazon when they sold them. 2 years later I want to reread this. But I no longer have the device I had back then. The PID(s) for MobiPocket no longer match the devices I have. I'm screwed. Amazon won't let me get a copy I can read. So what do I do? I dgo looking for a copy I can read. Ok, I find one, but I also find other books I may want to read. So, I download them too and read them. I'm not paying for DRM content I cannot break the DRM from and someday end up with books I never can read again. I paid good money for this book that is 100% useless to me now.
See how DRM can cause MORE piracy then it prevents. In fact, if someone has a bad experience with DRM, then that person may never buy another ebook with DRM that s/he cannot break.
It's just stupid to expect me to pay for something that sometime down the road, I cannot use because of DRM. I know people that by books in a series and when the new book comes out, go back and reread the series from the start to freshen up their recollection. That's not unheard of. I went and reread the Lord of the Rings trilogy before seeing the movies.
Give us DRM and we will give you piracy in return. Take away the DRM and you'll find ebook piracy dropping.
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