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JSWolf · 03-11-2009, 10:31 PM

The DMCA tries to keep us from violating copyright. But what it does is keep us from reading legally obtained content.

Take the case of DigitalPaperback (I think that was their name). They sold only Mobipocket format eBooks. They went out of business. Sure you still had the content you've legally purchased. But what if the PID inside the eBooks you've purchased were just for your computer. Now if your computer was to be replaced for whatever reason, you'd install Mobipocket Reader again and you'd have a different PID. All those eBooks you've purchased are now gone for good. The DRM says you cannot view them since you no longer have a device that uses that PID you had when you purchased them.

DMCA says you aren't entitled to strip off the DRM because Mobipocket format DRM or not does not matter to Read-aloud. Had they been Adobe PDF or MS Reader format then sure, you could have legally stripped the DRM.

Fair use says you should be able to strip the DRM for your own use since the DRM means the content you've legally purchased is no longer usable to you at all. DMCA says otherwise. This needs to go to court and it needs to be decided and it needs to be done soon. This DMCA vs. fair use is going to be in our faces until it's legally decided which should prevail.

Take this case. You have a blind person who purchases MS Reader eBooks because he can legally strip the DRM and use the TTS software he purchased with MS Reader to red the eBooks to him. He knows it's not as good as a true audiobook, but he doesn't mind and it's ok for him. It gives him good enough access to lots of books he would not otherwise have access to. Now along comes Amazon. They make the K2 with TTS. It can read aloud eBooks. This poor man now cannot legally strip away the DRM like he used to to be able to have eBooks read to him. He would need to purchase a K2 and eBooks from Amazon to be read to him. But that doesn't work because he cannot use a K2. So he's now shit out of luck thanks to DMCA and Amazon. I don't know if Jeff understands what the K2s TTS is legally doing for handicapped people. Because what it is doing is taking something away from them they they used to be able to legally obtain.

My feeling is that if we went to Jeff and told him this, not a thing would change and that's really sad when you think of another big corporation screwing the little guy once more.

03-11-2009, 10:31 PM	#109
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 80,228 Karma: 148951761 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The DMCA tries to keep us from violating copyright. But what it does is keep us from reading legally obtained content. Take the case of DigitalPaperback (I think that was their name). They sold only Mobipocket format eBooks. They went out of business. Sure you still had the content you've legally purchased. But what if the PID inside the eBooks you've purchased were just for your computer. Now if your computer was to be replaced for whatever reason, you'd install Mobipocket Reader again and you'd have a different PID. All those eBooks you've purchased are now gone for good. The DRM says you cannot view them since you no longer have a device that uses that PID you had when you purchased them. DMCA says you aren't entitled to strip off the DRM because Mobipocket format DRM or not does not matter to Read-aloud. Had they been Adobe PDF or MS Reader format then sure, you could have legally stripped the DRM. Fair use says you should be able to strip the DRM for your own use since the DRM means the content you've legally purchased is no longer usable to you at all. DMCA says otherwise. This needs to go to court and it needs to be decided and it needs to be done soon. This DMCA vs. fair use is going to be in our faces until it's legally decided which should prevail. Take this case. You have a blind person who purchases MS Reader eBooks because he can legally strip the DRM and use the TTS software he purchased with MS Reader to red the eBooks to him. He knows it's not as good as a true audiobook, but he doesn't mind and it's ok for him. It gives him good enough access to lots of books he would not otherwise have access to. Now along comes Amazon. They make the K2 with TTS. It can read aloud eBooks. This poor man now cannot legally strip away the DRM like he used to to be able to have eBooks read to him. He would need to purchase a K2 and eBooks from Amazon to be read to him. But that doesn't work because he cannot use a K2. So he's now shit out of luck thanks to DMCA and Amazon. I don't know if Jeff understands what the K2s TTS is legally doing for handicapped people. Because what it is doing is taking something away from them they they used to be able to legally obtain. My feeling is that if we went to Jeff and told him this, not a thing would change and that's really sad when you think of another big corporation screwing the little guy once more.