Would you be e-reading if DRM was unbreakable?

[Tarana]

I think a lot depends on whether you keep your books after reading or not. Someone like my Mom, who never rereads, doesn't care if there is DRM or not since they aren't going to be usied it in the future once it is read.

I would continue to eread, but only because I already have enough books with DRM removed to last the rest of my lifetime. My new purchases would likely end to only a couple a year.

edited to add: unlike others, I don't have a choice. I can't read paper books due to vision damage. It's either audiobooks or ereaders.

[Apache]

If someone did make an unbreakable DRM Amazon would lose my business or I would buy the book from Amazon and download a pirated copy to use. If worse came to worse I would just go back to my physical books.
Apache

[pidgeon92]

I bought my first Kindle in 2008 not know or caring about DRM on ebooks. When I wanted to start borrowing ePubs from the library, I bought a Sony. That pretty much covered me. I do liberate my ebooks now when I add them to calibre, but only because it is so easy. I still read my ePubs on a reader that supports them, and my Amazon ebooks on a Kindle.

[usuallee]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

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.

The point about the music industry and iTunes is very apt. DRM is likely to continue if there is no outcry. Then again, if one of the major ebook purveyors folded (say, B&N, or far, far less likely, Amazon) and their customers could not access their books, I could see that becoming some sort of tipping point.

As for me, I'd no doubt whine, grumble, and complain, and probably continue to purchase ebooks, albeit probably slightly less prolifically, and mix in more paper books. Would I consider trying to obtain pirate copies of books I purchased? I'd probably consider it, it wouldn't really bother me ethically, but don't know if I'd be bothered to actually spend the time and energy to do it.

[markom]

I guess it doesn't count because it is also kind of un-DRMing but I would continue to do what I've been doing already, reading screenshots of my drm-ed books as pdf on unsupported devices.

Screenshot images can be taken manually or by software and then easily adjusted for particular reader's size, resolution, letter size or ocr-ed to make the text searchable and selectable.

[shanghaichica]

Whilst I do remove the drm from my ebooks, if I wasn't able to I'd still buy books form amazon and read them on my kindle.

[Atunah]

Well I would vote on the poll if I could. A bit confused.

The first few years I didn't know about removing DRM. I just bought my ebooks on Amazon and read. Then I found this forum and since then liberated them.
I buy almost all my ebooks at Amazone, with a handful through publishers that don't use drm (Sourcebook).

But for me the choice is clear. Even if I could not remove the DRM anymore, I would continue buying and reading ebooks. I can't read paperbacks anymore. I need to be able to make the font larger.
When I got my first Kindle in 2008 I had read only handful of books in the couple of years leading up to it, because of my eyes getting bad. It just wasn't much fun to read anymore while getting headaches. My first full year with my Kindle I read 189 books.

So even if I would be sad if I couldn't have a proper backup of my books with the knowledge I'll have them if something happens, I can't stop buying them. I am not going to start getting pirated copies.

I would also continue buying at Amazon. If something is wrong with a font for example, like a font that cant' be changed, I can return it to them. Their customer service is just the best.

But for me its about reading. I can't ever be without reading, its my life blood. And it has to be ebook and it has to be e-ink. Or I can't read. So there isn't any other option for me.

I just wish DRM would go away period. I would still operate and buy as I always do, but I wouldn't have to worry about losing access to my books anymore.

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

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

The question, which wasn't asked, is what other changes might sellers make if they did have unbreakable DRM? Unbreakable DRM by itself wouldn't change my behavior but some of the other changes it would make practical would change my behavior.

I make my book choice almost exclusively on price, not format. (That didn't come out quite right but if you read on I think you'll know what I mean.) If a pbook is cheaper than the ebook (and the pbook is in good shape) I'll buy the pbook. If not (or if I can't find a pbook version) then I'll buy the ebook. Sometimes it's frustrating to have a mixed series, some pbooks & others as ebooks, but generally I can handle it. At worst I might be reading a couple of different series making sure I always have another ebook to read if I finish my current one while I'm away. At home it makes very little difference, ebook or pbook, as far as my enjoyment goes.

[eschwartz]

Download a pirated copy of the book, then buy it from Amazon to assuage my conscience.

[Sydney's Mom]

The only thing that would change is library books. While some are available for Kindle and EPub, there are some that only come in EPub. Since I would have a hard time feeding my reading habit without library books, I would have to go back to paper for them. I have bought every iteration of the Kindle, and I would have been far less likely to spend that money if I could only read freebies and classics. Without some very, very kind people on this board, my very first ereader would be sitting in a drawer somewhere.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by HarryT

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.

Same here. My MIL, who loves her kindle, has absolutely no interest, even though she is very computer savvy. And my husband, who tells me he bought a book from Amazon, and I should really read it. I said you need to eliminate the DRM. He said I could just give you my kindle. That was the last anyone said on the subject

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by booklover6

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

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

I stopped because Leo was gone.

[sun surfer]

This poll is rather useless without an "I'd just continue buying ebooks as usual" option. And why is it hidden until mid-January?

[alecE]

I can't vote in this poll - there's no option for "I'd continue buying and reading ebooks". I have extremely limited physical space for pbooks, so digital has been an absolute life-saver for me. I do remove DRM from everything I buy (both epub and Kindle). If I couldn't remove the DRM I'd still buy and read books; I'd just be a *lot* more nervous about losing my library. And appallingly grumpy 'cos I couldn't correct the typos etc. which I find in so many texts. My local public library would see me much more often as well.

[HarryT]

Katsunami, I'm curious to know why you thought that people wouldn't read books that had DRM. Most of us here are avid readers, and I imagine would carry on reading under pretty much any circumstances, DRM or no.