I don't think DRM is very helpful to booksellers. Those who pirate will pirate with or without DRM, because DRM always gets cracked. They can be pretty much ruled out in a discussion regarding the validity of DRM.
I suppose the issue I can see is that those with less technical proficiency (not trying to imply torrents are complicated, but there are a vast number of people out there who do not know how to find/use them) will be able to share files easily. Now I'm not sure this would result in much loss either, but at least it has some validity. That being said, I really don't think its worth it even with that in account. Paying customers only get pissed off when DRM causes trouble for them, and in my experience can often deter people from future purchases.
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Originally Posted by leebase
5. Nobody is actually making copies of Ikea book cases to give to friends and family -- millions of people actually ARE making digital copies of music, ebooks, movies and sharing them for free across the world.
Lee
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And these people would be doing that with or without DRM. Right now DRM exists, but does nothing to stop files being put onto torrent sites and the like. No DRM will ever go unbroken simply because there is a larger force of intelligent minds interested in cracking these things than there are people making them. Not saying companies don't have intelligent people making DRM, but they can't possibly compete with thousands of people around the world who are capable of breaking such things.
I think you are under some illusion that DRM is helping to stop the pirating world from getting information, which it isn't. The only thing DRM does stop is those with little technical knowledge from sharing files locally, amongst friends and family.