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Old 04-07-2015, 06:02 PM   #23
Zetmolm
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Posts: 615
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Device: PocketBook Verse Pro Colour
Practically all publishers here in the Netherlands have switched from Adobe DRM to watermarking. Yes, it's a lot more user friendly. But...

In order to enforce traceability, the seller of watermarked books collects contact information of all buyers. Names, mail addresses, street addresses, and whatever else they think they need to ask. They can build a database of people interested in books. Valuable information. They might sell this database. Or I buy a book one day, and the next day get spammed. OK, it has not happened yet, but the risk is real.

On the other hand, if I was buying a watermarked book in order to give it away on the Internet, I would use a fake account with an untraceable mail address and make sure they cannot find me. And I could always remove the watermarks. It's not that difficult, really.

No form of DRM is free for publishers. I don't know what different forms of DRM cost, but in the end it's the law-abiding buyers of the books who pay for it. Books could be cheaper without DRM. I don't want to pay extra to have my book crippled, but I also don't want to pay extra for the privilege of having my mail address added to distribution lists for marketing purposes.

Conclusion: watermarking may be more user-friendly than other forms of DRM, but it is bad from a privacy perspective, completely useless as measure to fight piracy, and a waste of your and my money.
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