Quote:
Originally Posted by SensualPoet
Lastly DRM on ebooks doesn't get in the way of enjoying your purchase and its not something that will be consumed dozens or hundreds of times like a favourite tune is. So DRM is also not put to the test as often. Sure, some people worry they might be inconvenienced by DRM someday, but, as a practical matter, almost no one is.
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Really? You've never heard anyone ask "will that ebook work on my device?" You've never heard anyone ask "Can I use library books on my Kindle?" You've never heard anyone ask "How can I load all the ebooks I purchased in the past on my new device?" Only for them to be told, no sorry, DRM prevents that.
To answer the OP, I don't know of any independent studies and would think it would be near impossible to design a study to prove this one way or the other. Do you really need a study though or can you just look at it logically?
Personally I do think DRM stops some casual copying. This would include people who don't know better but try to copy something and can't so they either realize "hey maybe I'm not supposed to do this" or simply don't pursue it further as well as people who know it's possible to remove DRM but don't want to bother with it. The average consumer will purchase a copy if it's quick and easy to do so. It's the path of least resistance that wins. Make the ebook available, price it well, promote it well, that's about the best you can do to minimize piracy and maximize sales.
People who want to pirate something will simply remove the DRM or scan a paper copy. The only way to stop them would be with via law enforcement. These people are not interested in buying books.
Do you still need a study?