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warrend405 · 08-05-2010, 06:18 PM

I've been reading the arguments on DRM and Piracy for some time. It seems clear that the definitions and rules that have been common sense for years don't seem to apply to digital media. The problem being there is no physical object to tie ownership to. Example: A friend just sent me a copy of a p-book that he suggested that I read and he didn't want any more. I suspect almost all would agree that common sense says this is a legal and ethical act. What then is the status if he sends me an ebook? Is it OK if he deletes the book on his end, after all then there would still only be one. What happens if he doesn't but never looks at it again? or two years later happens to notice it and sends it to someone else. Does it then matter if I read it or just let it sit? Most publishers would argue you don't have the legal right to give the ebook away, saying you just have a license and they still own the IP. This doesn't sit well with most people's common sense. After all, I bought it so I own it. On the other hand, if I own one copy it doesn't seem right to give away 100 copies regardless of what they do with the copies after all I only have one.

I suspect this is one argument that will never be settled until the rules are mostly common sense and people understand and believe them. Right now with the two options being having the ability to turn one copy into many or not having any rights of ownership it seems we aren't real close.

08-05-2010, 06:18 PM	#135
warrend405 Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: sony touch	I've been reading the arguments on DRM and Piracy for some time. It seems clear that the definitions and rules that have been common sense for years don't seem to apply to digital media. The problem being there is no physical object to tie ownership to. Example: A friend just sent me a copy of a p-book that he suggested that I read and he didn't want any more. I suspect almost all would agree that common sense says this is a legal and ethical act. What then is the status if he sends me an ebook? Is it OK if he deletes the book on his end, after all then there would still only be one. What happens if he doesn't but never looks at it again? or two years later happens to notice it and sends it to someone else. Does it then matter if I read it or just let it sit? Most publishers would argue you don't have the legal right to give the ebook away, saying you just have a license and they still own the IP. This doesn't sit well with most people's common sense. After all, I bought it so I own it. On the other hand, if I own one copy it doesn't seem right to give away 100 copies regardless of what they do with the copies after all I only have one. I suspect this is one argument that will never be settled until the rules are mostly common sense and people understand and believe them. Right now with the two options being having the ability to turn one copy into many or not having any rights of ownership it seems we aren't real close.