Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfwreck
How so? Doesn't "stealing" involve (1) taking something away from someone without their consent and (2) giving to someone who doesn't have the right to possess it? Neither of those applies here. The author got paid; the buyer has a book; there's the potential that a law was broken, but "theft" is not the crime in question.
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My arguments are not intended to be a defense of copyright law. My arguments are that under current copyright law, it is deemed theft to modify an eBook without the written consent of the publisher and/or author. You do, of course, have a letter from the publisher or author that gives you permission to strip the DRM from their work, right? eBooks are not books, they are legally considered software, and as such, are not governed by the common-sense laws applicable to books. When you have a copyrighted work that has been modified without the permission of the content creator, you do not have the right to possess it. You don't have to transfer it to someone else in order for it to be stolen. Just using it in a way that is not permitted is enough.
Am I the only one who sees the problems inherent in turning books into software? The copyright laws for software have been horrible for end users, and it hasn't gotten better with time. The days of draconian controls of eReaders and eBooks is not far off, especially since so many of you seem to think you are perfectly in the right when you strip DRM.
Let me reiterate: I hate DRM. It is not the only potential problem with eBooks as a technology, but it is one problem, and a big one.