Quote:
Originally Posted by ApK
I'm annoyed by constant restatement of incorrect information, especially when it interferes with me getting reforms I think are important.
I'm not sure why anyone framing IP rights argument as a "buy/license" argument is so worked up about it, their understanding of the source of their IP rights seems to be so faulty.
|
It's not difficult to understand what murraypaul means.
Of course, all content is licensed, as in the fact that you may not copy or reproduce it. However, murraypaul is right with regard to the fact that he owns a book, but doesn't own an ebook.
You can do with a paper book whatever you want. You can shelve it, give it away, burn it, sell it. It will be readable in 1 year, 2 years, or 50 years, if you treat it well.
You can't do all that with ebooks, as long as there is DRM on it. Reselling, lending and giving away becomes impossible (in most cases), but I understand that without DRM, you could just copy the file and "give it away" without losing your own copy.
What is worse, is that readability of the ebook can not be guaranteed as long as there's DRM on it, as you can't convert the file to different formats. It limits your choice in readers and reader programs.
I think that this is the main reason that many people (especially the non-tech ones) don't want to pay the same for an ebook as they'd pay for a paperback. They know that they are loosing control over the future readability of the story that they are buying, so they will want to pay less.
I, myself, don't really care about the price of an ebook vs. paperback or hardback. For my part, they can cost the same. I'd actually pay a bit more for an ebook, because it saves me storage, allows the use of my own fonts and font sizes, allows using a lighted reader, and is easier to carry and to hold. It'll never fall apart. It'll never snap shut when I put it down. If worst comes to worst, I can actually change the layout, spacing, and indentation if the ones used don't suit me. Try that with a paper book.
All that convenience is worth something to me... as long as there is no DRM on the book.
If I cannot strip DRM from the content I buy, then I won't buy it, be it music, movies, games, or books, then I don't want it. I won't buy it.
Normally, I would even include activation of software in this category. However, I accept it for Windows, because I need that OS to run the software I want to run. There is no alternative for some programs I need or want to use. I also accepted it for Scrivener, because at around €30, it is cheap enough to lose and easy to replace with something else, should that ever happen.
What I will never accept is a subscription service DRM that Adobe is now transferring to, so you'll have to keep paying constantly to use the software, instead of saving up once, buy the program you want, and then use it for 5+ years.
That company has angered me so much lately, with many changes in their policies and support, that I have decided to remove all Adobe software from my computer and transition to RAWTherapee and GIMP for my advanced amateur photography needs. I'll make do. The only thing I loath is that I can't remove Digital Editions, because almost every store depends on it, at least for the books that I want to read. It's also impossible to remove Flash, because half the internet will stop working.
I can understand that a program made for Windows XP in 2005 may not run on Windows 12 in 2025, but that's not the maker's fault. In that case, you'd just have to use a virtual machine running Windows XP and run the software from there. However, if the software requires an authentication server, and the server is gone for whatever reason (ask people that play EA games...), then you can virtualize whatever you want. You won't ever be able to run the legal software. You *will* be able to run the pirated version however.
In short: If there is unremovable DRM on any piece of software, game, book, music, movie, or whatever means that makes the manufacturer control the usability of it, then the value to me is instantly reduced to 0 and my desire to pay money for it drops to below the freezing point.