If I were to apologize every time I was in error, I would spend all my time saying I'm sorry! As long as one isn't trying to insult someone or isn't being malicious I see no reason to apologize for making mistakes. I do try to acknowledge that I was in error or that the other person is correct.
IMPO, the big reasons that DRM free is important for completion in the ebook store industry are
- the consumer doesn't have to worry about losing access to their ebooks. When Sony closed down their estore, then the customers no longer had access to a percentage of ebooks that had been pulled from the Sony store because the contract had expired. I think I had about a dozen books that didn't make the transition from Sony to Kobo. Fortunately, I download my ebooks as I purchase them, so I have them all.
- Even if a consumer reads on a tablet rather than a dedicated ebook reader, most probably don't want to have to have a bunch of reader apps and remember which app they used to purchase which ebook. For example, I have all my ebooks in Marvin, even though I bought them from Sony, Amazon and Baen.
Yes, obviously Amazon would prefer that you buy all your ebooks from them and read those books on your kindle device, just like Apple would prefer that you buy all your music from the iTunes store and listen on your iPod. However, Apple figured out that they would have more long term customers if they gave them the ability to rip CD's and put that music in their iTunes library. Given that Amazon put the effort into writing a kindle app for all sorts of different devices (a lesson that Sony didn't learn until they had already too far behind to catch up), and that Amazon allows the publisher to decide on DRM, it's pretty obvious that Amazon understands that they need to be flexible with customers. I would not be surprised if Amazon goes the Apple route and adds support for non Amazon formats to the kindle apps, as well as allows customers the flexibility of uploading their none Amazon books to the amazon cloud.
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Originally Posted by speakingtohe
Thanks for being the bigger person and saying no need when there obviously was  I was in error.
DRM makes it pretty well impossible for stores to sell ebooks that will work on any reader. But in the case of the major players, Amazon and Kobo, possibly Applei is this not what they want? I think Amazon would be crazy to let people buy books easily from other stores if they can prevent it, likewise Kobo or Apple.
Possibly someone is developing a reading device that will be able to handle all types of DRM and that will solve the problem. Oh wait, most tablets can do that and possibly a phone or two.
I am just not understanding the miracle that will occur when you can read book on any device without authorization. Lots of people don't care, but then again lots of people don't read so that means nothing.
Aside from MR I have yet to encounter a reader who cared though. Ignorance of the problem or not a big problem for those who are not big into collecting books. Very few, seem to be.
I am no doubt confusing the issue. I do not see it as to a publishers advantage to go DRM free or for a bookstores advantage to make it easy for people to buy from their competitors.
Most front/mid list books AFAIK are available in either format/DRM type, and in the US can often be obtained free fin either format. Only epub in Canada, but that has not stopped kindle sales here. Plus most books can still be bought or borrowed in paper even in Canada.
Well as you can no doubt tell from my rambling, I am missing the point where DRM removal will make things better for all but the truly honest and paranoid.
Helen |