Quote:
Originally Posted by bgalbrecht
The problem is that if you buy a DRMd book from Amazon or B&N, and you want to read it on a dedicated ereader, you basically are stuck buying another Amazon or B&N ereader.
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So?
By now this is generally understood. Consumers know the rules of thr game. When you commit to a platform it is a long term commitment.
It is no different than committing to a gaming console; when you buy a PlayStation you are committing yourself to buying only PlayStation games.
Or Nintendo or XBox or Steam box or whatever.
And if the console breaks you either get another or forget about it.
There are risks in any decision.
Don't want risk?
Don't play the game. Stick with pbooks or whatever the publishers choose to make available DRM free.
It *is* their (licensed) product; as long as they obey relevant laws they can dictate the transaction terms any way they like and consumers choose whether to buy or not.
DRM is not illegal.
Walled gardens and proprietary formats are not illegal.
Any single publisher choosing to sell books through agency agreements is not illegal.
But five companies choosing to raise prices the same day by the same amount in the same fashion is illegal, whether it be beer or books, and *everybody* involved is equally guilty. You either coordinated or you didn't.
And that is what this thread is supposed to be about; what happens after a court finds a crime has been committed and how far whining and smoke screens might get the violators.