[djgreedo]

Originally Posted by markbot

DRM is needed to stop the parasites from stealing people’s hard work.

Firstly, DRM doesn't stop piracy. That's a fact. Just search for any recent movie or music or ebook or game on any file-sharing site.

DRM causes no problems for pirates. This is the big flaw in your entire argument. DRM can be circumvented very easily. Once one copy of Carrie is cracked and uploaded to the web, everyone can get a copy. I'm not condoning this, but this is what happens.

But DRM does cause many problems for legitimate users/buyers of media:

For example, people who own iPods and bought music for years that will only work via iPods and iTunes. These people can either pay more money to 'upgrade' their music to the new DRM-free format or be stuck with using Apple products for as long as they want to use that music (or video for that matter). They can't buy a different brand of MP3 player or use different computer software to access their legally bought music. And what if iTunes closes down permanently, like a few DRM-using sites have recently? That music becomes unusable.

Entrepreneurs and inventors do not start businesses when they know people can steal their products and services willy nilly.

Tell that to the companies that make a lot of money through DRM-free products. I spend quite a bit of money on (digital) music and ebooks and I've only ever bought 1 song with DRM (accidentally) and no books. Since getting my ebook reader I have bought almost exclusively from Fictionwise because they make it easy to find DRM-free content. All my MP3s are either ripped from CDs I own or were bought from one of many sites selling DRM-free music.

Let's say u r a novelist like Stephen King and u spend 6 months writing a book. You publish the book online DRM free in PDF and charge people upon purchase through a website like Amazon, etc. Very soon this book will end up on the file sharing services.

You seem to think DRM would stop this. It doesn't. Harry Potter books are available online and they haven't even been released digitally. Computer games are a good example, since they almost always have DRM...yet any big game is very easy to find and download with the DRM removed no more than a day after it's released (often before it's released). And guess what? The DRM-free versions are actually better than the versions with DRM because you can play without putting the disc in the drive, etc. I will admit to downloading DRM-free versions of games I have bought and to 'cracking' games I own so I don't have to insert a disc every time I want to play.

I don't think the creators should HAVE to rely on the good intentions of others to make a buck. They aren't running charities. Do a thought experiment…imagine that all people in the US has the sony reader and all people had access to file sharing programs.

Imagine everybody has an ereader. Imagine you could buy any book you want at a reasonable price knowing that book would 'work' on your ereader, your three different computers, your phone, etc. and that the software required to let you read that book could never 'expire' and never needs to 'call home' to a server to check that you are allowed to continue reading the book you bought.

Most people are honest. The dishonest ones can, and will, pirate their content with or without DRM. Those who are honest and happy to pay for content are hindered by DRM, and thus may choose to either pirate content or ignore it completely.

What would happen to a DRM free book once it is published? This is the thought experiment you should run any time u think DRM free books is a good idea.

Again, DRM or not, if there is a 'market' for a pirated book, the book will be pirated. DRM cannot stop this.

Look at the music industry. MP3 has greatly reduced music sales and hurt many people. There is also probably much less innovation there as well. With books it will be ever worse because there is no “live performance” to make money on. The intellectual property is the only product.

I'd say MP3 is a large factor in the decline of the music business, but it's not the only factor, and it's not entirely due to piracy. It is EASIER to steal music via bittorrent than it is to buy it. Many people who would buy music would find it easier to get it illegally than deal with complicated pricing structures, proprietory software, and uncertainty about what file type works on what devices they own, etc. If music publishers made this content as easy to buy and use as it is to pirate, they would make more sales. Also, most people feel that there is less intrinsic value in a digital download, but the record companies try to charge prices almost as high as CDs. For example, for me to buy an album online is around AU$17. I can usually find a new release CD for $18 or $19.

You're right that musicians have the cash stream of live performances, t-shirts, etc. They can to some extent afford to give away music as a marketing tool. Authors can't really do this.

This argument goes down to something very fundamental and important, something in the US constitutions….that is property rights. The right to control property…physical and intangible…to make a living off of your hard work.

Of course, people should have the right to use DRM. They should know that the customer has the right to not purchase that material. And they should also know that many people will feel justified in stealing that data if they can't buy it legitimately in a format they can use.

Ultimately the world of media is changing. There is money to be made there, and if companies are smart they will do things in such a way as to make a good profit while paying the artists. Since I personally will not buy content with DRM, all my money will go to companies and artists who are happy to let me play my digital content on whatever devices I want.

There are free alternatives to most media, and in many cases the free (both in terms of cost and DRM-free) is as good as or better than the overpriced, protected (i.e.defective) products.

How did you hear about your favourite authors? How did your favourite music become your favourite?

For me, I found my favourite authors by borrowing library books or by being given second-hand books when I was younger. I found my favourite bands by hearing them on the radio or borrowing a friend's CD or taping my brothers' LPs. That is, I had free access to this material so I could 'sample' it before deciding if I liked it. I now buy music and books by authors who I would never have been exposed to without 'free samples'.

There are big problems for artists and publishers going into the digital age, there's no doubt about it, but locking people out of digital files is not the solution to these problems. It not only punishes the paying customers, but it could actually pave the way for pirates to start making big money from the DRM-free files.