Quote:
Originally Posted by rkomar
How about the ability to read it whenever I want? With a paper book, as long as I keep the physical copy in good shape, I can read it. I can keep the bits of the ebook in good shape, too, but when the license is revoked, I lose the right to read it. The latter is not the same as the former. The ability to read the book is no longer just about how long I'm willing to preserve the physical manifestation of what I bought. Of course, that's as intended, and you'll say that when you buy a license, that's what you should expect. But the point is that people are not used to buying a license for a book, and the publishers and vendors aren't trying very hard to make the distinction clear.
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If I hadn't been a re-reader, this would not have mattered. I've bought software plenty of times, which I can no longer use (for whatever reason). But, in most cases, that software has become outdated/updated or maybe even become impractical.
But books... If I buy a book now, that book should still be readable in 5 years. No matter the devices I use to read that book. (Presuming, I still have eyesight, etc). As shops disappear (they have and they will), nothing guarantees me that I will still be able to read that book in 5 years. The only thing I can do is trying to make it future proof myself. Which is keeping it outside that shop (to prevent disappearance because of shop closure) and removing any DRM so I can format shift if I decide to start using a different reader that doesn't the previous format of the book.