[trehberg]

In my opinion, DRM is simply the evolution of copyright. Copyrights are DRM on the honor system. We are allowed to buy a book, but there are restrictions on how we can disseminate the contents. I don't object to the protection of the author's rights, and I don't have a strong objection to DRM for the same reason. As far as not being able to sell or give away the ebook when I finish it, this is the evolutionary aspect. Were this to be possible, with modern technology, copies would proliferate across the internet in a matter of minutes. Essentially, only one copy would ever be sold and then millions of pirated copies would be available. I believe the best solution would be to produce an ebook reader, Kindle or otherwise, inexpensive enough for the masses, and then have fee-based virtual libraries that allow access to the ebooks for a nominal fee on a temporary basis. Leave it to the Library of Congress, universities and other formal institutions to store paper copies if necessary. Personally, I believe that ebooks, with a universal format, would outlast paper books anyway, since they don't decay or burn as easily and can be archived in hundreds of separate locations.