Would you be e-reading if DRM was unbreakable? - Page 2

HarryT · 12-13-2013, 11:36 AM

This is a meaningless poll. Where's the "I'd carry on buying eBooks" answer? (Which is the one I'd give).

gweeks · 12-13-2013, 11:43 AM

The poll doesn't fit.

I would still be reading almost as much as I do now via ebook. Most of my purchased books now days are DRM free. It's a rare book I'll buy with DRM. I had a Rocket and lost all of those books and then I did the DRM for Embiid if you remember them. Watching that DRM failure is what convinced me that DRM is evil if it does anything to stop you from doing a format conversion yourself. The Watermark DRM doesn't bother me.

Most of my ebooks have come from Baen without DRM. Most of the rest of what I'm reading are freebies from Amazon or library books. DRM on neither of those offends me. I don't consider either of them to be "mine" permanently.

I still do paper books from the library too even if Idon't have room to store them if I buy them.

Greg

theducks · 12-13-2013, 11:44 AM

I would continue buying Baen Books and other DRM free.
For the rest: (low acid) Paper

(FWIW: some of my really old (not low acid) paper books are starting to crumble

. Many have Yellowed which reduces the contrast needed for better OCR)

Katsunami · 12-13-2013, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

This is a meaningless poll. Where's the "I'd carry on buying eBooks" answer? (Which is the one I'd give).

Quote:

Originally Posted by gweeks

The poll doesn't fit.

Then my suggestion is to just ignore it

I realized too late that there actually WOULD be people here who'd buy DRM-ed ebooks without a second thought even if they couldn't remove it.

HarryT · 12-13-2013, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I realized too late that there actually WOULD be people here who'd buy DRM-ed ebooks without a second thought even if they couldn't remove it.

The overwhelming majority, I strongly suspect. Everyone I know with a Kindle buys from Amazon without a thought for DRM. I've offered to show people how to use the "tools". Nobody's interested.

jgaiser · 12-13-2013, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

In early days I might have gone back to paper, but now? No way.

Yep... For these old eyes, e-reading is the only way to go. I'd bitch for a while, but I'd continue on.

And as DiapDealer says, there's no unbreakable DRM, just not broken yet. The game industry found that out in the 80's and 90's.

Hamlet53 · 12-13-2013, 11:58 AM

Actually my habits would not change very much at all. I prefer ebooks but when I wish to read any book my choice is first governed by cost. First choice is what ever format I can get for free and if that includes as an ebook great. This includes public domain (ebooks almost always available for free somewhere) and books available from a library (with preference for ebook format). If I must buy the book I would still do so even if the DRM cannot be removed and format converted. Generally such books are available in formats that can be read on either my Sony or my Kindle, so cost is the deciding factor in my choice.

Nate the great · 12-13-2013, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I only really got into things in 2007 when I was sure I'd be able to buy books and convert them to various formats, in this case thanks to ConvertLit and the LIT format. If LIT format wasn't already broken and convertible (& extractable to HTML) I would likely have never purchased a Sony PRS-505 and gone almost straight to all digital.

Ditto.

I only bought DRMed ebooks after I learned about MSLIT format. Before that I stuck with DRM-free ebooks from Baen, Fictionwise, and elsewhere.

Catlady · 12-13-2013, 12:05 PM

If I couldn't break DRM, I would not buy e-books.

JoeD · 12-13-2013, 12:09 PM

I won't buy ebooks from any store that cannot have the DRM removed. So if DRM couldn't be removed, I'd buy from DRM free stores only or failing that, stop buying books and spend more of my money on movies/games.

As others have mentioned though, the poll doesn't really cover all the options especially for those who would carry on buying regardless.

fjtorres · 12-13-2013, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I realized too late that there actually WOULD be people here who'd buy DRM-ed ebooks without a second thought even if they couldn't remove it.

That happens to consitute the vast majority of the market.
Even among the DRM-aware, like us, the benefits of ebooks often outweigh the encumbrance of DRM. Among the general public that has been buying DRM-encumbered music, video, and games since the last century, it is simply a fact of digital life.
Even in music, DRM only went away because the studios decided that it was the only way to grow an alternative to iTunes lock-in, not because consumers demanded it. And since doing away with DRM hasn't much impacted iTunes' domination, odds are the publishers won't give up their DRM security blanket any time soon.

Like many others, my answer would that unbreakable DRM, if such a thing were possible, would not significantly change my behavior.

DRM is a factor I consider to decide where I buy my digital content but it doesn't decide if I buy or not.
Obviously, I prefer DRM-free, but it's not a religious issue. It doesn't raise my blood pressure.

booklover6 · 12-13-2013, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I for one, would stop buying mainstream, DRM-ed books and would only use my e-reader for non-DRM-ed books. I don't know if I would go back to reading paperbacks; there would be a very big chance that I'd just drop all the mainstream publishers and titles.

Same here. If I can't format and font a book the way I want, I don't want to read it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I've been known to radically turn my back on something if something happens that irks me too much.

That's exactly why I stopped watching All My Children in the 1990's.

tubemonkey · 12-13-2013, 12:28 PM

I trust Amazon. They would never reach into my Kindle and take a book back. Nope, not in a million years would they ever do that.

Rbneader · 12-13-2013, 12:54 PM

I didn't buy DRM'd ebooks before I found the tools. I still mostly buy from DRM-free places and won't buy from places that the tools don't work for. I don't buy DRM'd games, music or movies either.

That said, I honestly wouldn't miss out on much if there was unbreakable DRM. Even if all digital media was somehow locked up into DRM-only systems, there's so much to do. I'd spend more time on my physical hobbies and honestly wouldn't care that much. Life is too awesome to spend time fussing, either companies sell me what I want or they don't get my money.

latepaul · 12-13-2013, 01:14 PM

I only made the final decision to buy a Kindle when I'd checked it was possible to deDRM the ebooks. I was/am willing to pay for ebooks but wanted to be able to back them up and future-proof them against format changes.

At the time I bought (a Kindle 2i in 2009) it was still a relatively expensive device and ebooks were the same price as hardbacks or more. At those prices I would not have bought the device just to read public domain works. By the time the prices came down to what we have today then I probably would. I would probably also have bought some of the "unbreakable" DRMed ebooks and then acquired a matching OCR-ed copy.

View Poll Results: What would you do if DRM was unbreakable?
Read classics, public domain books, self-pub... without DRM. Frack the publishers!	76	49.67%
I'd pirate scanned and OCR'd versions of DRM-ed books.	57	37.25%
(Partially) stop e-reading and go back to reading paper for the DRM-ed books.	68	44.44%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 153. You may not vote on this poll

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12-13-2013, 11:36 AM	#16
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	This is a meaningless poll. Where's the "I'd carry on buying eBooks" answer? (Which is the one I'd give).

12-13-2013, 11:43 AM	#17
gweeks Fanatic Posts: 506 Karma: 3367460 Join Date: Apr 2007 Device: Rocket, Nook ST, Kobo WiFi, Kindle PW	The poll doesn't fit. I would still be reading almost as much as I do now via ebook. Most of my purchased books now days are DRM free. It's a rare book I'll buy with DRM. I had a Rocket and lost all of those books and then I did the DRM for Embiid if you remember them. Watching that DRM failure is what convinced me that DRM is evil if it does anything to stop you from doing a format conversion yourself. The Watermark DRM doesn't bother me. Most of my ebooks have come from Baen without DRM. Most of the rest of what I'm reading are freebies from Amazon or library books. DRM on neither of those offends me. I don't consider either of them to be "mine" permanently. I still do paper books from the library too even if Idon't have room to store them if I buy them. Greg

12-13-2013, 11:44 AM	#18
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,897 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	I would continue buying Baen Books and other DRM free. For the rest: (low acid) Paper (FWIW: some of my really old (not low acid) paper books are starting to crumble . Many have Yellowed which reduces the contrast needed for better OCR)

12-13-2013, 11:58 AM	#22
Hamlet53 Nameless Being	Actually my habits would not change very much at all. I prefer ebooks but when I wish to read any book my choice is first governed by cost. First choice is what ever format I can get for free and if that includes as an ebook great. This includes public domain (ebooks almost always available for free somewhere) and books available from a library (with preference for ebook format). If I must buy the book I would still do so even if the DRM cannot be removed and format converted. Generally such books are available in formats that can be read on either my Sony or my Kindle, so cost is the deciding factor in my choice.

12-13-2013, 12:05 PM	#24
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,407 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	If I couldn't break DRM, I would not buy e-books.

12-13-2013, 12:09 PM	#25
JoeD Guru Posts: 895 Karma: 4383958 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: na	I won't buy ebooks from any store that cannot have the DRM removed. So if DRM couldn't be removed, I'd buy from DRM free stores only or failing that, stop buying books and spend more of my money on movies/games. As others have mentioned though, the poll doesn't really cover all the options especially for those who would carry on buying regardless.

12-13-2013, 12:28 PM	#28
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,746 Karma: 158575914 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	I trust Amazon. They would never reach into my Kindle and take a book back. Nope, not in a million years would they ever do that.

12-13-2013, 12:54 PM	#29
Rbneader Fanatic Posts: 503 Karma: 2661351 Join Date: Mar 2012 Device: None	I didn't buy DRM'd ebooks before I found the tools. I still mostly buy from DRM-free places and won't buy from places that the tools don't work for. I don't buy DRM'd games, music or movies either. That said, I honestly wouldn't miss out on much if there was unbreakable DRM. Even if all digital media was somehow locked up into DRM-only systems, there's so much to do. I'd spend more time on my physical hobbies and honestly wouldn't care that much. Life is too awesome to spend time fussing, either companies sell me what I want or they don't get my money.

12-13-2013, 01:14 PM	#30
latepaul Wizard Posts: 1,270 Karma: 10468300 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: a variety (mostly kindles and kobos)	I only made the final decision to buy a Kindle when I'd checked it was possible to deDRM the ebooks. I was/am willing to pay for ebooks but wanted to be able to back them up and future-proof them against format changes. At the time I bought (a Kindle 2i in 2009) it was still a relatively expensive device and ebooks were the same price as hardbacks or more. At those prices I would not have bought the device just to read public domain works. By the time the prices came down to what we have today then I probably would. I would probably also have bought some of the "unbreakable" DRMed ebooks and then acquired a matching OCR-ed copy.

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