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I'd also like to say that I've watched these arguments for probably 5 years. I've also followed writers who do and who don't use DRM. I have not seen one shred of evidence that suggests writers who apply DRM end up selling less. None. A sale here or there that wasn't noticed? Sure, it's possible. But, as I've said, I don't see any of the supposed "exposure" that is touted as a result of pirate site, I don't see any benefit at all. Now that Amazon makes it possible for an author to do legal free promos, that exposure may easily weigh out the illegal type. I don't know. But books with and without DRM show up on pirate sites (meaning the original books had it.)
In short, I see zero benefit to the writer. The average PURCHASER doesn't know or care what it is. The average person on Mobileread is not the average purchaser. And those of them who wish to strip DRM will do so anyway. It doesn't hurt sales or help them from what I've seen just by watching.
DRM isn't all that effective against a determined person, but it's generally fairly effective against the 'accidental" and uninformed reader who is asked by their friend if they can borrow or have a copy of a book. This happens a LOT on cozy groups I'm on. They find they cannot transfer the file (and never really know why, but also don't understand that they shouldn't be doing it in the first place.) So DRM works against the casual person who simply tries a file transfer (usually out of the good of their heart--thinking they are passing along a book to a friend who wants to read it.)
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