How do you feel about DRMd epub?

ficbot · 10-03-2009, 01:59 PM

There is a book I want which is only available at Shortcovers right now. Jordan from Shortcovers, who posts here, has been very nice about answering my questions. But I am still really nervous about buying something with DRM.

There is one kind of DRM I do buy regularly because it is fairly straightforward (if a little time-consuming) to remove it, and I wind up with an HTML file I can do with as I please. But other than that, I do not buy DRM because I had a very bad experience when I owned an eBookwise where I bought a book from them before I knew better, and the DRM was so restrictive that I could only read it on that one individual machine, so that even if I later bought another machine from them, I would not be able to read it. Ever since then, I have vowed not to buy DRM unless it is something like the one I mentioned which I remove as soon as I get the book.

I worry that even though epub is becoming the 'standard' and I have been assured many types of machines can read it and will support it in the future, the method of encrypting the DRM might change, or if I switch from a Sony to something else, there might not be software to 'validate' the ebook (right now this is done through my Sony account) or some other software change down the road might make the book unreadable to me. I am wary about investing a ton of money into books which might not hold up to longer-term future reading. I *did* spend a lot of money over the years on this other DRM format, but as I said, I was able to remove it and I am confident that my HTML files (which can easily be cut and pasted from a web browser into a plain text document) can be read for the duration.

On the other hand, epub *is* the emerging standard...

Am I worrying too much? Do you guys feel safe buying DRMd epub files? Or do you worry this is going to be a bad 'investment' down the road?

edembowski · 10-03-2009, 02:05 PM

I absolutely love it. It's very easy to convert to a format without the Digital Restriction Management on it, and I've set it up as a fairly automated process.

Given a choice, I'll always buy it without DRM. Without that choice, I'll go for a format that's both easily convertible, and consumable by my device. ePub is the closest match for me.

- Ed

AnemicOak · 10-03-2009, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

Ever since then, I have vowed not to buy DRM unless it is something like the one I mentioned which I remove as soon as I get the book.

You can do this with ePub.

So far I've had good luck converting ePub to other formats when needed although lately I've been not converting and reading it on my Opus.

fugazied · 10-03-2009, 05:57 PM

ePub is generally pretty easy to manage (convert to other formats) etc. However while I'm moderately opposed to DRM in general, I don't mind it when publishers give me at least the same rights as paper books.

That means 1 user can have it open at a time, and I have the power to transfer ownership temporarily or permanently to another person. So I would like to have it on multiple devices but only 1 instance could be open at a time (just like 1 person can read the paper book at a time). Also I want to be able to sell it. When they start taking away the rights I had with paper books, that's when I get very angry about it. At a bare minimum we need the same rights as paper.

10-03-2009, 01:59 PM	#1
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	How do you feel about DRMd epub? There is a book I want which is only available at Shortcovers right now. Jordan from Shortcovers, who posts here, has been very nice about answering my questions. But I am still really nervous about buying something with DRM. There is one kind of DRM I do buy regularly because it is fairly straightforward (if a little time-consuming) to remove it, and I wind up with an HTML file I can do with as I please. But other than that, I do not buy DRM because I had a very bad experience when I owned an eBookwise where I bought a book from them before I knew better, and the DRM was so restrictive that I could only read it on that one individual machine, so that even if I later bought another machine from them, I would not be able to read it. Ever since then, I have vowed not to buy DRM unless it is something like the one I mentioned which I remove as soon as I get the book. I worry that even though epub is becoming the 'standard' and I have been assured many types of machines can read it and will support it in the future, the method of encrypting the DRM might change, or if I switch from a Sony to something else, there might not be software to 'validate' the ebook (right now this is done through my Sony account) or some other software change down the road might make the book unreadable to me. I am wary about investing a ton of money into books which might not hold up to longer-term future reading. I did spend a lot of money over the years on this other DRM format, but as I said, I was able to remove it and I am confident that my HTML files (which can easily be cut and pasted from a web browser into a plain text document) can be read for the duration. On the other hand, epub is the emerging standard... Am I worrying too much? Do you guys feel safe buying DRMd epub files? Or do you worry this is going to be a bad 'investment' down the road?

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10-03-2009, 02:05 PM	#2
edembowski Zealot Posts: 138 Karma: 372 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: New York, NY Device: Sony PRS-600, Nook Color, iPad	I absolutely love it. It's very easy to convert to a format without the Digital Restriction Management on it, and I've set it up as a fairly automated process. Given a choice, I'll always buy it without DRM. Without that choice, I'll go for a format that's both easily convertible, and consumable by my device. ePub is the closest match for me. - Ed

10-03-2009, 05:57 PM	#4
fugazied Wizard Posts: 1,305 Karma: 1958 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: iPod Touch	ePub is generally pretty easy to manage (convert to other formats) etc. However while I'm moderately opposed to DRM in general, I don't mind it when publishers give me at least the same rights as paper books. That means 1 user can have it open at a time, and I have the power to transfer ownership temporarily or permanently to another person. So I would like to have it on multiple devices but only 1 instance could be open at a time (just like 1 person can read the paper book at a time). Also I want to be able to sell it. When they start taking away the rights I had with paper books, that's when I get very angry about it. At a bare minimum we need the same rights as paper.

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