Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaggy
There is no such thing as a DRM that can not be cracked. It doesn't matter how strong the encryption algorithm is, in order for the customer to use the content you have to provide the keys in some form or another. Eventually, somebody will figure out a way of using the key in an unintended way, which is usually how these things are "cracked" (aka circumvented). Most of them don't break the algorithm, they figure out how to unlock the content using the DRM and then do something with it that they're not supposed to. You can't give them the key to use the content and keep the content away from them at the same time.
The easiest way to think of DRM is the locked door analogy. You can come up with the biggest/strongest door lock in the world, but you always have to give the home owner a copy of the key. DRM can never prevent the home owner from breaking in to their own house.
The only thing that it comes down to is having someone with the technical skills and enough motivation to figure out how to use the key to get the content out. There's nothing DRM can do to make that impossible.
The only way to have unbeatable DRM is to make it so that nobody can access the content, including the customer. There wouldn't be much point to that though.
|
That's why I started my reply by saying we need to define 'cracking'. IMO, circumvention is not the same as cracking. If your definition of cracking includes circumvention, then I'll agree with you-all DRM that doesn't make an ebook unusable can be circumvented. Hell, if necessary I can display the ebook on the screen while I retype it manually. How's any DRM going to prevent that? So if that's your point, then you're right-there's no such thing as 'perfect' DRM.