View Single Post
Old 03-22-2011, 12:30 PM   #289
stonetools
Wizard
stonetools ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.stonetools ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.stonetools ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.stonetools ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.stonetools ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.stonetools ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.stonetools ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.stonetools ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.stonetools ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.stonetools ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.stonetools ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
stonetools's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,016
Karma: 2838487
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Device: Ipad, IPhone
Quote:
For the same reason it's not done now with Baen books, Konrath's books, Hocking's books... because "you can give a copy to a friend" (specifically allowed in Baen's purchase) is not the same as "post this so anyone can download it." Some casual sharing exists, but the non-DRM publishers, both corporate and individual, haven't been put out of business by it.

Because MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT THIEVES. Most readers want authors to write more, so they want them to get paid. Saying "how can we prevent casual sharing without DRM" is like saying "how can we prevent shoplifting without searching people at the door?"
Baen is a scall scale publisher , serving a niche market. His example may just not scale up to a worldwide publishing industry on which millions of people depend for their livelihood. A "no locked doors" policy works in a small rural community; it isn't advisable in the big bad city.
Most people may not be thieves: but they sure like to share things they enjoy with friends. In the Facebook age, they can share with dozens of people at a time. Its a whole nother thing than lending a book to Daddy or your best friend.
For the record, storeowners do in fact take precautions against shoplifters, INCLUDING searching suspected shoplifters at the door. Are you saying publishers and authors have no right to take precautions against people copying and distrinbuting their work without payiing for it? Because this appears to be what you are saying.

Last edited by stonetools; 03-22-2011 at 01:15 PM.
stonetools is offline   Reply With Quote