For some, DRM stands for Down-Right Maddening. Nobody likes the painful and annoying restrictions it imposes on us, and the very fact that there's an increasing number of
e-book stores selling their content DRM-free can be seen as proof that the publishing industry doesn't depend on it either. So why do we still have to deal with DRM for a majority of e-books, whereas most downloadable music has gone DRM-free?
Or, could Apple step in and pressure the publishing industry to go completely DRM-free, the same way they did when renegotiating deals with the big music labels? Kirk McElhearn of Macworld thinks
there is a chance, also for Apple:
Quote:
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I can listen to my digital music files on just about any device; I want to do the same thing with my books. [...] Apple could take the lead, as the company did with DRM-free music, and help change another market that needs it. This could be good for Apple itself, too, given the perception of the company in the wake of the ebook price-fixing ruling.
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[image source:
Flickr, related:
Apple eBook price fixing case going to court]