eBook Consumers and DRM Survey

[jgoguen]

I'm not sure if there's anything you can do, perhaps you have to use the standard terms that the copyright monopoly puts out (or perhaps you disagree with my interpretation ), but I object to the term "Digital Rights Management". Usage of the word "Rights" has a positive connotation and implies that the assumption is that the copyright industry is merely protecting what they feel are their rights. Instead, "Restrictions" is a more accurate term both in the context of what DRM systems actually do and in what the copyright industry is, by their own statements and admissions, actually seeking to accomplish.

Usage of the term "Management", in either case, also lends a more positive implication than I feel is appropriate. As "Digital Rights Management", the implication is that the copyright industry is managing the privileges available to consumers and lessens the impact of the concept that consumers have only purchased a license and actually don't have any standard property rights. As "Digital Restrictions Management", the implication is that restrictions are being managed and so they're not as bad as they could be, which again lessens the impact of what DRM actually does. I'm not sure what would be most appropriate, but at least a neutral word like "Mechanisms" or "Methods".

[doubleshuffle]

Well, jgoguen, your analysis clearly shows that the term Digital Rights Management is quite simply doubleplusgood.

[Tommaths]

AlexBell — I appreciate you taking the time to do the survey and I'm happy to post the results of the survey in a few weeks time.

jgoguen — It seemed appropriate to go with the prevailing term rather than impose my own. I'm aware that some, usually opponents of DRM, prefer the term Digital Restrictions Management for the reasons you mentioned. More generally they are access control technologies, which i suppose is a more neutral term.

Originally Posted by jgoguen

I object to the term "Digital Rights Management".

DRM involves the issuing of rights by the copyright holder to the consumer. The term is entirely appropriate, and I doubt that there was any nefarious intent when it was developed.

We may disagree with DRM, but it strikes me that these word games are placing the opponents of DRM in a far more negative light than those who support it.

[jersysman]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

DRM involves the issuing of rights by the copyright holder to the consumer. The term is entirely appropriate, and I doubt that there was any nefarious intent when it was developed.

We may disagree with DRM, but it strikes me that these word games are placing the opponents of DRM in a far more negative light than those who support it.

+1

I totally agree with this statement.

[samhy]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

Filled it in, for some reason you seem to Have Kobo listed as a device but not a store.

Done and I noticed the same thing.

[HarryT]

Given that MR users are much more "DRM-savy" than the average man in the street, your results are really not going to be terribly representative of the population as a whole. I hope you're going to compare the MR results against those of a randomly-selected control group?

[paola]

Originally Posted by Tommaths

Greetings everyone.

I'm currently undergoing some research into what UK eBook readers want, how they behave, and what they think about DRM. Please take a minute or two of your time to complete my survey.

Please note that you don't have to be from the UK, or know much (or anything) about DRM to complete the survey.

Considering a recent topic was posted on the subject, I thought this might be a good place to find respondents!

[EDIT]: This is a Univeristy project. Individual answers will be kept confidential.
The research results will only be published in aggregated form. Nobody will be able to figure out your individual responses.

New link: http://obsurvey.com/S2.aspx?id=4abb2...7-ba0b4791e6b0

Thank you very much for your time.



Tommaths

Tommaths, it would be good if you would also tell us your real name and what university you are from. Generally people looking for answers also give the name of their supervisors, state that they have been given ethics approval, etc. This is quite important for how your work is going to be evaluated at your University: if I were an examiner, I'd give you a very hard time

[Tommaths]

HarryT — Whilst the survey was not merely targeted at this forum, I agree, the results aren't going to be representative of the general population. Indeed, there are quite a few limitations to this survey, but that doesn't mean that the results are worthless. As you suggested, I'm looking to get results from a more randomly-selected eBook user group as well.

Paola — My name is Tom Storr and I'm studying MSc Publishing at Edinburgh Napier University. I'm working under the supervision of Derek Allan, Lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University. My project has the approval of my department and will adhere to the University's Code of Practice on Research Ethics and Governance (2007). I believe I was forthcoming with the nature and purpose of the research and how the results will be disseminated. I would like to reiterate that participants' confidentiality will not be compromised by this research — the survey is anonymous. I hope that alleviates any of your concerns.

[Randy11]

Done.

[delph]

Thanks for your disclosure! I took the survey and look forward to seeing the results.

[Tommaths]

Results:

1. Amazon device and store were the most commonly used (74.3% indicated they commonly purchase eBooks from Amazon).

Other manufacturers/retailers (google, Samsung, Kobo, Nook, etc) were far more popular among non-UK respondents.

2. The majority of respondents were satisfied with eBookstores (21.4% Very Satisfied; 43.9% Satisfied [Median], 23.5% Neutral, 7.1% Unsatisfied, 4.1% Very Unsatisfied.

3. The majority of respondents indicated they were fairly knowledgeable about DRM [median].

4. 63.4% indicated the eBooks they purchased were mostly DRM-protected.

5. Only 6.9% were in favour of DRM on eBooks. 73.3% were not.

6. Interoporability was the most important issue for respondents. 67.3% strongly agreed that it was important to them that eBooks files could be transferred easily between devices [median].

7. Respondents were apparently uninterested or neutral toward a secondary eBook market.

8. The importance of being able to lend and bequeath eBooks received similar percentages for each variable. The median was Agree for each (28.7% and 31% respectively).

9. 45.6% strongly agreed that DRM is an inclination of no trust. Similarly, 44.6% strongly agreed that they would only buy eBooks from trusted sources. However, the median for each was agree.

10. The majority were concerned content providers might be monitoring their eBook usage. That said, the data was quite dispersed.

11. A similar percentage strongly agreed that DRM should comply with copyright law as did agree that end-user license agreements should be transparent, i.e., the restrictions clearly displayed: 55% and 55.6% respectively. The median for each was strongly agree.

12. 39.6% strongly disagreed that DRM was difficult to remove. 24.8% disagreed. 28.7% were neutral.

13. The median disagreed that DRM is necessary to fight copyright infringement. Also, 47% strongly disagreed.


14. 50.5% strongly disagreed that DRM helps sustain the eBook market.

15. 99 responded to the section on behavioural consequences resulting from DRM: 31.3% were less willing to pay for eBooks; 68.7% were considering removing DRM; 67.7% were considering buying DRM-free eBooks; 19.2% were considering downloading illegally. Only 21.2% were not considering doing the actions just mentioned.

16. Comments section:

About a dozen stated they remove DRM for personal use about concerns about accessibility, usability, interoperability, etc.

3 or 4 were concerned that the rights granted with eBooks are much more limited than with pBooks. Also tied to this is pricing, i.e., the belief that eBooks should be cheaper than their physical counterparts.

2/3 suggested DRM is necessary to protect the economic rights of authors. Although one author indicated he was not in favour of DRM.

1 suggested piracy helps publicise books and by extension helps sales.

1 respondent said he or she had lost DRM-protected eBook files as they were locked to a device, that is, the device was no longer supported and the DRM restricted file-sharing.

A couple were unsure of the implications of DRM.

[FizzyWater]

Thanks for sharing your results!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Tommaths

14. The median disagreed that DRM helps sustain the eBook market. The mode strongly disagreed (50.5%).

How is this possible? The median must surely also be "strongly disagree" if over 50% of people chose that option.

[Tommaths]

pdurrant - Well noticed. You're of course correct. I'm not sure why Obsurvey came up with that result, although I've noticed that the percentages of each variable sometimes add up to 101% so that might be the reason why!