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rleguillow · 04-09-2010, 11:21 AM

We all seem to accept the excuse that DRM is used to stop pirating or DRM is used to support copyright law. At least, I see those excuses repeated here in the forums often.

When I bought my Sony reader, the sales gimmick at the time was 100 free ebooks - and they are all classics, out of copyright, and available on just about every ebook seller's website. So WHY is there DRM on those books?

It isn't to protect copyright - these books are out of copyright. It isn't to prevent piracy - what is the point? They are free.

IMHO, it is to prevent me from using these books on anything other than the Sony reader. Just as the Apple DRM was to prevent listening to music from iTunes on anything other than iTunes or the iPod. The sellers are hoping that if you have a lot of books that can be used on only their product, you'll only buy their product in future, to preserve your ebooks.

I don't plan to give my books away to a dozen of my friends, and I don't plan to put them out for pirates. I DO, however, plan to upgrade my reader whenever I want to and can afford it, and if it breaks down on me as it eventually will, I may or may not consider another Sony. I DON'T plan on buying all my ebooks again just because of DRM, if I don't get another Sony. So I try to always buy DRM-free books - prefer to give my money to sellers who support that (go Baen!) - and if I "gotta have" a book that I can't get from Baen, I at least make sure I get it in a format from which I can remove the DRM.

I think we could at least stop repeating the party line, and let the sellers know we are on to their game.

Opinions?

04-09-2010, 11:21 AM	#1
rleguillow Always Reading Posts: 110 Karma: 1002645 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: North Carolina Device: FW 1192, PRS-700, kobo, Rocket, PRS-650, Nook Glow, Kobo Glo, others	What is the real purpose of DRM? We all seem to accept the excuse that DRM is used to stop pirating or DRM is used to support copyright law. At least, I see those excuses repeated here in the forums often. When I bought my Sony reader, the sales gimmick at the time was 100 free ebooks - and they are all classics, out of copyright, and available on just about every ebook seller's website. So WHY is there DRM on those books? It isn't to protect copyright - these books are out of copyright. It isn't to prevent piracy - what is the point? They are free. IMHO, it is to prevent me from using these books on anything other than the Sony reader. Just as the Apple DRM was to prevent listening to music from iTunes on anything other than iTunes or the iPod. The sellers are hoping that if you have a lot of books that can be used on only their product, you'll only buy their product in future, to preserve your ebooks. I don't plan to give my books away to a dozen of my friends, and I don't plan to put them out for pirates. I DO, however, plan to upgrade my reader whenever I want to and can afford it, and if it breaks down on me as it eventually will, I may or may not consider another Sony. I DON'T plan on buying all my ebooks again just because of DRM, if I don't get another Sony. So I try to always buy DRM-free books - prefer to give my money to sellers who support that (go Baen!) - and if I "gotta have" a book that I can't get from Baen, I at least make sure I get it in a format from which I can remove the DRM. I think we could at least stop repeating the party line, and let the sellers know we are on to their game. Opinions?