Quote:
Originally Posted by AnemicOak
It doesn't stop what's normally referred to as piracy on torrents & other mass distribution methods. What it can stop or limit is the non tech type reader who has no idea how DRM really works or what it is let alone how to remove it and would never think to go looking for a "free" copy online, but would gladly "lend" a copy of their purchased book(s) to three or four friends (who then "lend" it to a couple more). This casual sharing is something a lot of people don't think of as piracy and something many publishers & authors fear.
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Lending to three or four people is something people can do, and have done, with physical books. I used to lose books routinely when they were passed around from person to person. Physical books are also available secondhand; the publisher and author get no profit from that buying and selling. This sharing and recycling is not new and it's not piracy.
Why not go after the real pirates and the file-sharing sites, instead of inconveniencing Aunt Mary who wants to share a book with Cousin Pete? And who will probably figure out how to do it anyway?