Are there any studies PROVING that DRM works?

[frquixote]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I've been reading lately how journalists and posters are recommending owning two ereaders. A kindle and an epub reader. Why? Possibly because of DRM.

I've seen the same thing suggested right here on MR ... no doubt some will choose that path. Others will choose to "liberate" the books they have acquired so they can be converted and used on the preferred platform. Still others will choose to simply not buy/read those books not available on their preferred platform.

In many ways I think the folks in the last category are the ones with the correct strategy because it signals the authors and publishers as to which platform we will support. We've been here before: Beta vs VHS and Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD being just two examples. Eventually there was only one left standing.

Its only too bad that DRM may be the driver for that market force.

[EowynCarter]

Still others will choose to simply not buy/read those books not available on their preferred platform.

Count me in

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by jbjb

I.e. the reader can circumvent the protection, but you have no way of knowing the key used to do it (short of looking at the memory contents using some very high-tech and expensive scanning equipment - unlikely to be of interest for a single-book key).

Which would probably happen a lot quicker than you might think.

Also, what happens when your customers are demanding to be able to read the content on their PC? Every format I know of also has a PC version of the application/reader (which is where the circumvention usually happens). Hardware protection (whatever that was really worth to begin with) goes out the window in that case.

but it's not the case that the decrypting key has to be *given* to the reading device.

However it's implemented (whether you give the key or come up with some other scheme), the end user controlled device needs to be able to access the content. As soon as you allow that, you've lost control of the content. DRM only gives you back the illusion of control.

[Kirtai]

I would really like to see a DRM system that can defeat the following approach: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bkrpr/3403655734/

Yes, that's a bookscanner photographing the display of an ebook reader

(From http://bookliberator.org/blog/?p=46)

[doreenjoy]

Getting back to the original question, I doubt that there will EVER be a study that would satisy those who are militantly anti-DRM.

[MrPLD]

What's the difference between anti-DRM and militantly anti-DRM?

I don't use DRM because it doesn't stop piracy. I will/do use watermarking though.

Paul.

[jeffcobb]

A DRM system that works will likely be in the hands of a user. Make it too hard, too painful and folks with the know-how will treat the DRM like the Internet treats an outage: when possible, route around it.

Now, for all of what some termed at preaching on here, I was always of the opinion that the books should be sold and more importantly bought to help support the author who is doing work to please us. That was before last weekend when I had to deal with the insanity of Adobe Digital Editions on a non-Windows and non-Mac platform. I have turned 180 degrees on this. The ebook seller made it easy to purchase (which I did) but then Adobe made it insanely hard to read something I purchased on a fairly main-stream ereader (Nook). Right now I am more interested in finding a list of every book that is protected with ADE, download the list, ripping the DRM from it and ... well you know.

To answer the question: the DRM itself did more to turn me off of ebook purchases than any study and frankly my internal moral compass, that same thing that made me purchase a book for my wife in the first place, is now dictating that I punish Adobe in every way imaginable. It's on now.

[MrPLD]

Jeff,

You have come essentially to the point that unfortunately a lot of people reach. Either through the inability to transpose your purchased media to your preferred device or worse, losing access to it because the DRM system is disbanded or changed.

The theory of DRM is all good and well but it ignores the reality that ultimately, it will get in the way of the end-consumer trying to enjoy what they purchased.

I must reiterate here - I'm not a fan of pirates, I don't condone what they do in any way shape or form, to me they are a pain, but DRM is as effective against them as waterspray on flies.

Paul.

[sabredog]

I do agree that DRM is a problem we all face, but at least it can be removed, if only for those with some technical ability. However that gap is closing with simple GUI interfaces which makes the disinfection option much easier for those wishing to undertake the process.

If the process of removal continues to be easier and simpler, then those who turn to alternatives might swing back to mainstream to buy the ebook and remove the DRM from their purchase.

GR is a bigger problem for me that DRM ever was.

[amoroso]

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

Getting back to the original question, I doubt that there will EVER be a study that would satisy those who are militantly anti-DRM.

From this thread it looks like there is no study at all, let alone one that may satisfy more or less militant anti-DRMers.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by MrPLD

The theory of DRM is all good and well but it ignores the reality that ultimately, it will get in the way of the end-consumer trying to enjoy what they purchased.
Paul.

Yup. I paid for 18$ of book I can't read, because a stupid mistake. (I forgot to authorize ADE to my adobe account, that messed up with authorizing the book. )
On top of that, Borders support still haven't replied to the message I sent Sunday, and I have almost finished my current book.

[jbjb]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

Which would probably happen a lot quicker than you might think.

I really struggle to see that people whipping out their Scanning Electron Microscopes to extract a single-book key (wrecking the reader in the process) would be particularly common.

Also, what happens when your customers are demanding to be able to read the content on their PC? Every format I know of also has a PC version of the application/reader (which is where the circumvention usually happens). Hardware protection (whatever that was really worth to begin with) goes out the window in that case.

PCs are clearly more problematic.

However it's implemented (whether you give the key or come up with some other scheme), the end user controlled device needs to be able to access the content. As soon as you allow that, you've lost control of the content. DRM only gives you back the illusion of control.

I don't disagree, I was simply pointing out that there are ways to do it which don't involve being given the key. Clearly, given that the (human) reader can read the book they can always transcribe it manually, so that sets an upper bound on how hard it can ever be. I'm just saying that schemes can be devised which get much closer to this upper bound.

Please note that I'm not defending DRM on ebooks - I think it should go, and it's only a matter of time before it does.

/JB

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by jbjb

Clearly, given that the (human) reader can read the book they can always transcribe it manually, so that sets an upper bound on how hard it can ever be. I'm just saying that schemes can be devised which get much closer to this upper bound.

Given how quickly paper books have been turned into ebooks (the Harry Potter example being neither the first nor the last) at most the DRM-locking publishers will have a couple of days lead on the pirates. If people are going to pirate books, they're going to pirate books; they weren't customers to begin with. The people the publishers need to reach are the people who would like to buy the book, or would buy it if it was affordable and convenient, who those very same publishers are driving into the arms of the pirates. Every time someone says "I wanted to buy the ebook, but it cost more than the paperback", that's a lost sale. That's where the publishers need to find their sales, not in their fear of competing with hardcovers.

[jeffcobb]

Well as much as I wanted the instant gratification of revenge against Adobe for being such weenies, instead I downloaded a classic (Dracula, Bram Stoker) from Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/345) and am enjoying every page. He was a great author and even reading it living in the desert as I am, his words made me feel the bleak coldness of the Carpathian mountains...

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by MrPLD

What's the difference between anti-DRM and militantly anti-DRM?

Off the top of my head:

Anti-DRM:

• Doesn't buy DRM'd books
• Possibly doesn't download DRM'd freebies
• Doesn't recommend DRM'd books or bookstores to friends; suggests they buy from Smashwords or Baen or FW's multiformat selection.
• May refer to DRM as an "infection"

Militantly anti-DRM:

• Keeps a list of links to Convertlit, Skindle, Inept, MobiDeDRM and so on websites; shares them with anyone who expresses concern about buying DRM'd ebooks
• Acquires & provides links to bootleg versions of DRM'd ebooks
• Lobbies politicians for changes in laws to allow legal removal of DRM
• Fond of pointing out that DRM laws make doc conversion a crime, despite fact that nobody has yet been prosecuted, anywhere, for removing DRM for personal use
• Points people to Konrath's & Doctorow's blogs to insist that authorial success doesn't rely on DRM
• Keeps anti-DRM essays open on computer; copy/pastes relevant paragraphs into recurring "piracy" arguments
• May refer to DRM'd ebooks as "infected with expensive rights restrictions."