Catch-22 now an e-book

[boxcorner]

Originally Posted by AprilHare

DRM isn't the enemy in my opinion. I just want DRM to be smarter so you can lend others books or sell them onwards, that's all.

I didn't really understand what DRM was, when I bought my Sony PRS-650. I thought it was just about copyright protection. During the few weeks that I've had my Sony, I've been reading around the subject and believe that I now have a better understanding of what DRM is really all about. Whilst I could probably circumvent DRM, via stripping, I've chosen to boycott it instead. It will be interesting to see what happens in five or ten years time, when people with e-readers try to move the DRM restricted books that they've bought to other devices, based on different technologies.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by boxcorner

I didn't really understand what DRM was, when I bought my Sony PRS-650. I thought it was just about copyright protection. During the few weeks that I've had my Sony, I've been reading around the subject and believe that I now have a better understanding of what DRM is really all about. Whilst I could probably circumvent DRM, via stripping, I've chosen to boycott it instead. It will be interesting to see what happens in five or ten years time, when people with e-readers try to move the DRM restricted books that they've bought to other devices, based on different technologies.

Doing that you really only hurt yourself, you don't get to read the books that you want to read or you have to go to the darknet. That approach would only work if almost everybody did it the same way.

[boxcorner]

Somehow I inadvertently double-posted (see below). Sorry about that!

[boxcorner]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Doing that you really only hurt yourself, you don't get to read the books that you want to read or you have to go to the darknet. That approach would only work if almost everybody did it the same way.

I beg to differ. Furthermore, I try to differentiate between needs and wants. I might want to re-read Catch-22 as an e-book, but I don't really need to do so. I read the p-book version, when it originally came out. I try to resist the temptation of indulging in impulse buying and having intentionally chosen an e-book reader that supports the ePub format and isn't equipped with WiFi, of course that helps immensely. Anyway, Amazon isn't the only bookseller in the world.

There are more than enough free books that I wish to read for my edification, and there is little enough time to read them, as it is. By free books, I mean ones that can be downloaded legally from websites such as MR and Project Gutenberg.

So, if books that I want are restricted by DRM, then I'm perfectly happy to forego them. If I really need them, then I would really much prefer to buy them as p-books, so that I can do whatever I want with them (keep them forever, lend them, sell them, give them away, etc). I still prefer p-books, in some ways. So, by not buying any DRM restricted e-books, I'm really not hurting myself at all. The losers are the publishers who insist on restricting the use of e-books by using DRM.

Of course, you could argue that if I buy p-books instead, then the publishers would probably be better off. Well, then so be it. Sure, boycotting DRM would probably only result in change, if the majority acted in the same way. However, all movements are started by individuals and all majorities are only the integral of their individuals. So I, for one, am willing to stand up and be counted. The way I see it, I have nothing to lose and might possibly gain something.

Addendum
I've now got yet another free e-book to read, which BeWrite Books very generously gave me yesterday, as part of the special promotion they're running this weekend. It might not be too late, if you're quick enough.

[Joebill]

Originally Posted by asjogren

$US12.99 - For a book where Amazon sells a used paper copy for $US1.99?

And of course, "This price was set by the Publisher."

Of course it is over-priced. Milo probably has his fingers in there, Catch twenty-two.

[Joebill]

Originally Posted by astra

Unfortunately, this is the book that I cannot give a second chance, so much I disliked reading it. It was so joyless. Switching between characters. No logic. Humour is sort of retarded, making fun of people who defend our way of life when we leisurely sitting in warm houses and reading forums.
Dull, dull, dull.

It makes fun of idiots who work the system to line their pockets, while pretending to defend freedom. A difference in intent.

I've met people, while I was in the military, like the characters that harass Yosarian. They belong in prison.

[astra]

Originally Posted by Joebill

It makes fun of idiots who work the system to line their pockets, while pretending to defend freedom. A difference in intent.

I've met people, while I was in the military, like the characters that harass Yosarian. They belong in prison.

I agree. For this sort of people I have disrespected the whole "military" as a bunch of morons until in another country/countries I have met with real professionals.

[corona]

Goes all nostalgic... This was the last bedtime story I read to my son.

[amjbrown]

UK version on its way...

I tracked down the UK publisher's (Vintage, a RH imprint) contact address and pinged them and e-mail this weekend asking about a UK version.

I got a very nice reply saying the 50th Anniversary edition will be available in the UK as an eBook on 23rd June. ISBN 9781446466766 - which makes it feel very real

I feel quite motivated to start lobbying publishers about a range of titles! Clicking "tell the publisher you want this title on a Kindle" just doesn't give me the feedback I crave!

amjb

[seagull]

Originally Posted by amjbrown

UK version on its way...

I tracked down the UK publisher's (Vintage, a RH imprint) contact address and pinged them and e-mail this weekend asking about a UK version.

I got a very nice reply saying the 50th Anniversary edition will be available in the UK as an eBook on 23rd June. ISBN 9781446466766 - which makes it feel very real

I feel quite motivated to start lobbying publishers about a range of titles! Clicking "tell the publisher you want this title on a Kindle" just doesn't give me the feedback I crave!

amjb

Yeah, clicking the button doesn't really get you anywhere. I always e-mail the publishers. I now know that Faber & Faber don't have the rights to publish an ebook version of "Lord of the Flies".

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by boxcorner

I didn't really understand what DRM was, when I bought my Sony PRS-650. I thought it was just about copyright protection. During the few weeks that I've had my Sony, I've been reading around the subject and believe that I now have a better understanding of what DRM is really all about. Whilst I could probably circumvent DRM, via stripping, I've chosen to boycott it instead. It will be interesting to see what happens in five or ten years time, when people with e-readers try to move the DRM restricted books that they've bought to other devices, based on different technologies.

No problems here, I know how to strip the DRM so moving books is easy. If people have large enough libraries, they will be motivated to learn how to strip the DRM off of books if they change e-readers.

[boxcorner]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

No problems here, I know how to strip the DRM so moving books is easy ...

Bully for you!

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

... If people have large enough libraries, they will be motivated to learn how to strip the DRM off of books if they change e-readers.

Clearly, many people know how, and are happy to strip DRM from e-books that they "buy". When I wrote that post - five months ago - I was referring to those who don't, or aren't. They will be inconvenienced, unless they decide to ditch their e-books, or opt to buy e-books from sellers such as BeWrite Books and O'Reilly - all their e-books are DRM-free. Some people consider DRM-stripping to be an inconvenience, which they can't be bothered with. In any case, the legality of DRM-stripping is not the same in all countries, so some people may feel more inhibited than others, for that reason if not for any other. So, I don't believe that all those who have large enough libraries will necessarily be motivated to, or feel comfortable about stripping DRM from their e-books, before e-readers or DRM are superseded by new technology.

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by boxcorner

Bully for you!

Clearly, many people know how, and are happy to strip DRM from e-books that they "buy". When I wrote that post - five months ago - I was referring to those who don't, or aren't. They will be inconvenienced, unless they decide to ditch their e-books, or opt to buy DRM-free e-books from sellers such as BeWrite Books. Some people consider DRM-stripping to be an inconvenience, which they can't be bothered with. In any case, the legality of DRM-stripping is not the same in all countries, so some people may feel more inhibited than others, for that reason if not for any other. So, I don't believe that all those who have large enough libraries will necessarily be motivated to, or feel comfortable about stripping DRM from their e-books, before e-readers or DRM are superseded by new technology.

You, you are right. They are screwed. But they don't have to be.

I guess folks might be worried that the police are going to come banging into their house to check and see if they have stripped DRM from their books to put on a new ereader. I think that the police are busy enough looking into more serious crimes and handing out speeding tickets to conduct an investigation in order to get a search warrent to check an individual persons computer for books whose DRM has been removed.

Which makes DRM removal a legal issue in many countries but more likely then not the decision to strip DRM or not is an ethical question for each person more so then a legal problem.

[boxcorner]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

You, you are right. They are screwed. But they don't have to be.

I guess folks might be worried that the police are going to come banging into their house to check and see if they have stripped DRM from their books to put on a new ereader. I think that the police are busy enough looking into more serious crimes and handing out speeding tickets to conduct an investigation in order to get a search warrent to check an individual persons computer for books whose DRM has been removed.

Which makes DRM removal a legal issue in many countries but more likely then not the decision to strip DRM or not is an ethical question for each person more so then a legal problem.

Whether someone is an advocate or critic, DRM is unlikely to go away anytime soon, so e-reader users must choose whichever strategy suits them best and proceed accordingly. As I indicated in my earlier posts, I prefer the simpler option of avoiding DRM altogether, either by reading free content, or buying e-books that are DRM-free.

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by boxcorner

Whether someone is an advocate or critic, DRM is unlikely to go away anytime soon, so e-reader users must choose whichever strategy suits them best and proceed accordingly. As I indicated in my earlier posts, I prefer the simpler option of avoiding DRM altogether, either by reading free content, or buying e-books that are DRM-free.

Your approach is not one that many casual ereader users are taking because 1) they bought their ereader to read the books that they like so not reading those books defeats the purpose for them 2) they have no clue about DRM because they buy their books from the same store as their device is from 3) they have clue about DRM until they try and buy a book from a different store and cannot load the book due to DRM.

The folks posting here are a small minority of the ereader users. You know where to go and get DRM free books and about the free books, most folks don't. I have had friends buy ereaders and I have had to point them to those sites and explain this stuff to them because they had no idea.

Many of the books I want to read are not free and have DRM. I am not going to choose to not to read books that I enjoy on my e-reader.

Which leaves me, and others, with a choice. Except the DRM and deal with it or remove the DRM, which comes with some legal risks for many folks. I realize that I am in the minority regarding this because none of my friends or family with ereaders have the slightest clue about removing DRM.