Quote:
Originally Posted by Fluribus
As for DRM in ebooks, I think it's too early to tell.
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I completely agree. However, since it won't hurt for me to be wrong, here are my guesses:
-- If there are no technical improvements to DRM, use of it, aside from library books, will gradually decline.
-- Publishers whose readers feel some sort of loyalty to them will continue to be more willing to drop DRM. And generalist publishers are not going to generate brand loyalty, DRM or otherwise. Specialized publishers will continue to be less likely to have DRM because they can realistically hope to gain reader loyalty.
-- If Mike Shatzkin is right that specialized publishers will grow and generalists decline, that means less DRM.
-- College textbook publishers, because their audience is somewhat captive while feeling less than zero loyalty to the publisher, will keep DRM the longest.
-- So longer as Amazon lacks a strong preference, book DRM won't totally die.
-- If we get to where virtually every electronic device is continuously connected to seamless wireless Internet, that could allow invention of more effective DRM, which publishers would then widely adopt. As to why someone would buy such semi-Orwellian devices, perhaps they would be free.