Quote:
Originally Posted by bill_mchale
So ultimately Steve, I think I am going to need to see a proposal for this "Good DRM" that you posit. In other words, spec out a system of DRM that will serve the needs of publishers but at the same time will not restrict fair use of said work. Even if such a good system can be devised, I seriously doubt that it will actually aid the Publishing industry in any significant way.
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Boy, why oh why do I do this?...)
As I suggested in my post, the fact that we don't presently have a GOOD DRM system for e-books is not an indicator that such a thing is mythical or impossible (as many others posters on this site would, in fact, suggest). The various DRM schemes being used by iTunes, for example, or by other content-rich websites, demonstrate that it is indeed possible to sell content and
mitigate loss (again, the point is not to
eradicate loss, which is impossible, but to keep it to acceptable levels).
The success of the system also requires
buy-in, i.e., the paying public must agree that the system works for them, and therefore they do not go out of their way to circumvent it (example: Paid cable TV). Or you allow them a way to circumvent DRM--on iTunes, for example, by CD burning--that is acceptable to your public and your publishers.
This requires trust on both ends: Both sides must trust that the other is not trying to rip them off, and that the arrangement is mutually beneficial. If either side does not have this trust, the system will break down--and right now, I think it's fair to say that in most cases there is virtually zero trust between book buyers and sellers in e-book publishing, making any DRM system between them virtually impossible.
Finally, DRM does not automatically mean "encryption," as so many assume. It is problems with encryption (tied to old PCs or OSs, mainly) that result in most of the reasons people do not like DRM. DRM systems tied to personal identification have historically worked much better, and allowed document transfer to new devices/readers with fewer problems.
As far as I am concerned, DRM that simply ties the document
transaction to the
purchaser is the best system yet. The system ties the link for the e-book to the transaction, to prevent others from downloading the same book... and once the authorized purchaser has the document, the need for DRM is considered over. I get paid. Customers can move or share the files as they wish, or do anything else covered under Fair Use. (This logic also depends on customer buy-in, and a measure of trust on the seller's part, to keep loss through sharing to a minimum.) That's the method I use on my site, it works for me (as an author/self-publisher), and I've heard few complaints.
So, if you like, there is your proposed "Good DRM" system, being used today and (so far) achieving relative success. (In fact, on my site I actually refer to it as "No DRM," because my system is so unobtrusive to the user, and have never been challenged about it.) If you have any comments regarding my system, I'm always open to discussion.
(Note: The operative word there is
discussion... not flaming, name-calling, insulting or attacking. When it devolves to that, I'm officially done.)