Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaggy
The technology to make eBooks work like pBooks with regards to the consumer rights we're talking about is trivial, and in at least one case already exists. Whether it only lets you do it one time, or one at a time (like pBooks) doesn't matter. That's just an artificial limitation. They could certainly support the latter if they wanted to, and it would give consumers the exact same right they already have today with pBooks.
Technically, there is nothing that would prevent the design of a DRM system that would allow for the transfer of a license to 1 person at a time, and then when they return it transfer it again, just like pBooks. The only reason DRM systems don't support that is because they choose not to, not because they can't.
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Now who's talking about something that doesn't exist.
If the publishers/industry can implement something like that to force ebooks to emulate pbooks and everyone agrees this is how it should work and it's a common format etc. I'm all for it. But my point still stands and is correct. We are currently in a state of flux. The inherent differences in the formats require different methods of managing it -- currently various forms of DRM are in place in an attempt to do this. That may change, the DRM may change to allow selling, lending, or burning just like pbooks but it's not there yet and unlike you I don't think it's a conspiracy or intentional on the part of the publishers, it's just that we are not there yet and if you think the current drm is invasive, then the enhanced ability to forcibly ensure only one copy of a purchase is allowed to exist while simultaneously allowing sharing, selling, or burning of that copy in the same manner as a pbook then expect much more serious invasive behavior by the DRM.
On top of that you know as well as I that there is no such thing as "perfect" drm and it will be cracked and the multiple sharing (pirating if you so choose to call it) will continue. The publishers know this too. They really just want to somehow reach a means of making money and a reasonable way of insuring their rights and by extension the authors rights in the process.
I don't claim to know the answer, but the only one I see is the one reached by the music industry.