drm protection

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by harryE123

Harry, may I ask something? Am I right in assuming drm or no drm there's no cross platform compatibility between amazon's mobi-type format and the sonys, and vise versa with adobes epub? And how does apple figure out there with their drm-ed epub?

If a book isn't DRM-restricted, you can use calibre to convert it between whatever formats you have and need. For example, if you've picked up one of the fine public-domain books here on MobileRead, and it's only available in epub but you have a Kindle, just convert it to mobi and you're good to go.

On the other hand, if a book is DRM-restricted, you're stuck with whatever format it came in, unless of course you choose to jailbreak it, which grievously offends the publishers and device sellers who want to ensure their device lock-in and wouldn't know a clue if it flew up and bit them in the face. Which is why I buy from Baen, BVC, O'Reilly, Smashwords, etc.

[HarryT]

Apple's eBook store sells ePub books, but using their own DRM mechanism. There's currently no way to remove this.

[GreenMonkey]

Also, be careful on Amazon. I got a .PRC book the other day for my class. I bought on Amazon for my history class. Stripped the DRM OK to put on my Nook. But apparently converting PRC is a lot of effort, Calibre doesn't do it... and gets not great results, apparently. I gave up and re-bought on B&N for another $5.50. *sigh*

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

Also, be careful on Amazon. I got a .PRC book the other day for my class. I bought on Amazon for my history class. Stripped the DRM OK to put on my Nook. But apparently converting PRC is a lot of effort, Calibre doesn't do it... and gets not great results, apparently.

This is entirely incorrect. Calibre does an excellent job of converting from Mobipocket format to ePub.

[GhostHawk]

DRM Protection is fine for publishers, and when you buy DRM books you need to remember that you are encouraging publishers to do more of the same.

DRM is Restriction for readers, limiting your choices and what you can do with it.

Would you buy a car that would only run on fuel you bought from the original car dealer?

Would you buy a radio that could only tune in that chains radio stations?
(And prevented you from recording that song you hear)

Nothing will make me stop looking at a new game faster than finding out that it has Starforce (intrusive DRM scheme)

The only way we we have a vote, is to vote with your pocketbook.

Reward good company's like Baen that vary pricing on a reasonable schedule.
That give away some free books, that don't add DRM.

Don't buy from company's and publishers that jack up prices and add DRM.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by GhostHawk

Don't buy from company's and publishers that jack up prices and add DRM.

Amazon generally have the lowest prices (and DRM, of course, but DRM which is trivally removed).

[pholy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Amazon generally have the lowest prices (and DRM, of course, but DRM which is trivially removed).

I was under the impression that one had to have an old installation of K4PC running on a Windows computer in order to remove the newer book-specific PID DRM. That isn't a trivial hurdle for people who don't already have a Windows computer and an old installation of K4PC....

I have a friend who would be very happy to have me be wrong... and I wouldn't feel hurt at all.

[HarryT]

I'm using the current version of K4PC and it works just fine for me. The majority of people do of course have a Windows machine.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by pholy

I was under the impression that one had to have an old installation of K4PC running on a Windows computer in order to remove the newer book-specific PID DRM. That isn't a trivial hurdle for people who don't already have a Windows computer and an old installation of K4PC....

I have a friend who would be very happy to have me be wrong... and I wouldn't feel hurt at all.

unswindle no longer works with the latest K4PC software

skindle still does

[harryE123]

Thanks guys. I hear what Ghost is saying and subscribe to it.

[Purple Lady]

there is now a calibre plugin that works with kindle4pc v1.2.1

[speakingtohe]

I do not like DRM and I do not like the idea that I do not own the book when I buy it although we should all be used to that through software licensing.

I do not see a viable alternative for publishers at the moment. Self publishing authors or authors in general could request donations, but not a hope in hell for publishers.

Publishers have been doing business for quite a while and generallly doing a reasonable job with no hue and cry up until recently. Perhaps they are doomed, but one can't fault them for trying to stay in business.

What would you do in their shoes? Just give up?

This is a serious question and maybe someone has a good idea.

They do have responsibilities to authors, shareholders, employees, subsideriary companys, family etc. Plus they may have gotten into the habit of eating regularly.

Meanwhile DRM is what they have got and it may get them bad press but perhaps a few more sales.

Most ebook reading people I have come across don't know what it means even though they have managed to authorize their device.

Don't like it but can't blame them

[Robert22]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

I do not like DRM and I do not like the idea that I do not own the book when I buy it although we should all be used to that through software licensing.

I do not see a viable alternative for publishers at the moment. Self publishing authors or authors in general could request donations, but not a hope in hell for publishers.

Publishers have been doing business for quite a while and generallly doing a reasonable job with no hue and cry up until recently. Perhaps they are doomed, but one can't fault them for trying to stay in business.

What would you do in their shoes? Just give up?

This is a serious question and maybe someone has a good idea.

They do have responsibilities to authors, shareholders, employees, subsideriary companys, family etc. Plus they may have gotten into the habit of eating regularly.

Meanwhile DRM is what they have got and it may get them bad press but perhaps a few more sales.

Most ebook reading people I have come across don't know what it means even though they have managed to authorize their device.

Don't like it but can't blame them

I think that the whole publishing industry is unnecessary for ebooks.

What is required to create an ebook:
1. An author
2. An editor
3. A website
4. Advertisement

What is NOT required to create an ebook:
1. Logging
2. Paper mills
3. Printing presses
4. Distribution warehouses
5. Transportation/Trucking/Fuel
6. A store front
7. Reprinting for popular books
8. Returns for unpopular books
9. All the people/energy for the above operations

Yet none of this is reflected in the price that is charged for an ebook. The readers of ebooks are being ripped off. Prices need to come way down. The authors need to be paid more. The publishing industry is a dinosaur and will soon go extinct.

[speakingtohe]

@Robert22
I agree to most and succinctly put.
Still not a concrete solution.
I think authors, publishers etc. would lower prices considerably if they could see a chance of making it a success.

1. An author
2. An editor
3. A website
4. Advertisement

All the above are available and in use but generally by unknown authors or mavericks.
Gotta give them a viable alternative and a reason to switch that is in their interests as well as ours or we sound a tad like self centered babies saying gimme because I want you to.

[pietvo]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

I just bought a new pc, and I had no trouble authorizing my new pc for use with ADE. I also discovered that I can deauthorize my old pc if I choose.

So I don't think you should ever run into a problem with running out of authorizations utilizing this option.

Deauthorizing your computer doesn't diminish the number of authorizations you have used. They are not counting the number of authorized computers you have (they couldn't) but the number of times you authorized a computer. So if you authorize and deauthorize you computer 6 times, you'r stuck and you have to ask Adobe for new ones. Same with ereaders.