Quote:
Originally Posted by Ankh
Sigh... They have exclusive rights to the content. They can, pretty much, do whatever they please with that content, including, but not limited to, infecting it with DRM before offering it for sale.
No competition, hence no way for customers to fight back.
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This is largely incorrect.
You are correct in that it is illegal to, for example, publish a tool or disseminate instructions for how to circumvent a DRM model.
However, putting DRM on content that is in the public domain does
not magically re-apply copyright. E.g. B&N often puts out its own ebooks of texts that are in the public domain. While it may be illegal for me to invent a tool that cracks their DRM scheme, they cannot in any way, shape or form prevent me from redistributing that PD text.
Even if they somehow became the only publisher of that text, I will still have the legal right to transcribe it into another form (paper or electronic) and distribute it in any method and at any price point I choose.
I.e. adding DRM does not, and cannot, re-establish any sort of exclusivity or equivalent of copyright protection to a public domain text.
Now, in some cases a company like B&N or Penguin will add essays or similar content to a PD text.
That material can by copyrighted. However, the rest of the text is still in the public domain.
Similarly, if the text is still in copyright, short of signing an exclusive contract with a retailer, the rights-holder can distribute that title in any fashion they see fit. B&N putting DRM on a Stephen King book does not in any way, shape or form prevent Amazon, Apple or Sony from selling the book as well.