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The problem isn't really someone like Amazon going under and "releasing" the DRM source for you to unlock it yourself. Most of the DRM "formats" (Adobe ePub/Mobipocket/Amazon) rely on retailer servers to authenticate your book (the exception that I'm aware of is eReader that uses a credit card). The problem is more a retailer/publisher using one of these formats. Lets take fictionwise as a really good example, to read one of their Mobipocket encrypted books you have to enter your device PID into their server, which then calls the mobipocket servers (well actually I believe its a third party distributer but that adds even more fragility) and you get to read it on your device (PC/ebook reader/laptop/etc.). If you want to read it on a new device you need to re-log into Fictionwise and add a new PID and re-download the book. Should Fictionwise ever shut up shop, you will be unable to read your book on any new devices (think replacing your PC/ebook reader etc) ever again (without certain DRM stripping tools of course). Even should fictionwise ever decide to stop supporting Mobipocket this will happen. Now fictionwise do not own the mobipocket encryption "rights" so cannot release it. So you are stuck basically!
The theory behind so called DRM is basically flawed anyway and has been ever since they started putting loader protection on old 8 bit tape loading games and macrovision on VHS. Why? because every one of these pieces of Media are designed to be watched/listened to/read/etc. and once out of the control of the encryptor someone will be able to copy/unlock it because they are designed to be unlocked (so you can actually consume them), taking this into account someone will always be able to reverse engineer the unlocking process given sufficient time and will, I mean look at the time and effort people go to, for copying paper based books and uploading them for no apparent reason (I mean by the time they have scanned each page, OCR'd and error corrected them they have read the book several times already).
Mark
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