MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - eReader.com Vice President on DRM and its Obstacles

Bob Russell · 09-30-2004, 01:03 PM

I've got some eReader ebooks, and I think this is the idea...

* When you purchase the ebook, you supply a credit card number.
* That CC# is required to unlock a book file and read it.
* When you enter the CC#, it is converted into a hash value that is stored on the device. Any ebook purchased with that CC# is now available without re-entering. This means, for example, you could "loan" the book to someone by entering the CC# for them on their device. They never know your # and only the hash value is stored, so no one can reverse engineer the CC#.
* Additionally, you can re-download eBooks you have purchased from their online store. (Yes, that depends on them still being in business and supporting that service, so it's probabaly not permanent.)

My main problems with this DRM are:
1) I have to keep track of the CC#s used to buy each book.
In fact, you have to pick the right CC# for the right book, so if you have multiple books and multiple CC#s it can take a lot of number grafitti. But thankfully, once entered, it's good for all applicable books.
2) It's still a DRM, which means that as technology changes (or I change technology), the book is no longer really readable unless eReader decides to support it.

But of all the DRM schemes I've seen so far, I think this is the best compromise. It prevents widespread copying, and it also allows some reasonable flexibility to the user.

I don't think anyone has solved the ""ownership issue" -- your use of the book is dependent on support of a particular technology. Until that gets solved, I don't think eBooks will do well, except maybe novels and things that you read once and throw away. No one in their right mind will spend a lot of money on reference sets unless they are willing to consider them disposable.

Edit: BTW, I also talked with the folks at eReader about this CC# issue before I bought the books. There's another thread on that here somewhere, but don't have time at the moment to go find it.

09-30-2004, 01:03 PM	#10
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	I've got some eReader ebooks, and I think this is the idea... * When you purchase the ebook, you supply a credit card number. * That CC# is required to unlock a book file and read it. * When you enter the CC#, it is converted into a hash value that is stored on the device. Any ebook purchased with that CC# is now available without re-entering. This means, for example, you could "loan" the book to someone by entering the CC# for them on their device. They never know your # and only the hash value is stored, so no one can reverse engineer the CC#. * Additionally, you can re-download eBooks you have purchased from their online store. (Yes, that depends on them still being in business and supporting that service, so it's probabaly not permanent.) My main problems with this DRM are: 1) I have to keep track of the CC#s used to buy each book. In fact, you have to pick the right CC# for the right book, so if you have multiple books and multiple CC#s it can take a lot of number grafitti. But thankfully, once entered, it's good for all applicable books. 2) It's still a DRM, which means that as technology changes (or I change technology), the book is no longer really readable unless eReader decides to support it. But of all the DRM schemes I've seen so far, I think this is the best compromise. It prevents widespread copying, and it also allows some reasonable flexibility to the user. I don't think anyone has solved the ""ownership issue" -- your use of the book is dependent on support of a particular technology. Until that gets solved, I don't think eBooks will do well, except maybe novels and things that you read once and throw away. No one in their right mind will spend a lot of money on reference sets unless they are willing to consider them disposable. Edit: BTW, I also talked with the folks at eReader about this CC# issue before I bought the books. There's another thread on that here somewhere, but don't have time at the moment to go find it.