E-Book protection

Vallebona · 09-11-2015, 04:24 AM

Dear Sirs,

I read very often, that DRM solutions are unuseful, to avoid illegal copies of e-books. I would like to know, if there is a good solution to protect e-books. If I apply an open solution without DRM, should I accept as well, that my e-books could be stolen and reproduced very easily?
Thank you in advance.

Best Regards

Claudio Vallebona

faltradl · 09-11-2015, 05:54 AM

A good solution? There is one: Don't give your ebook to anyone. And it will be the only way. Any other protection can be cracked. Perhaps not at once, but it's only a matter of time.

meeera · 09-11-2015, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vallebona

Dear Sirs,

Well, I'm out. Good luck seeking advice.

cromag · 09-11-2015, 07:58 AM

This has been gone over several times. DRM doesn't really stop anyone from making copies, if they want to. But it does annoy legitimate readers who would like to read on their choice of devices.

Most of your readers will be honest, and you can't really stop the thieves.

I prefer to publish without DRM, mostly because I prefer to read without DRM.

gmw · 09-11-2015, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meeera

Well, I'm out. Good luck seeking advice.

Now, now, meeera. Do not be so hasty in rushing to conclusions.

Please allow for the possibility that this could be an innocent mistake rather than a deliberately sexist salutation. English may not be the poster's native tongue.

Claudio, DRM can be contentious - if you search this forum you will find many very long discussions on the subject. Simply put: DRM will not prevent copying by anyone cares to go to the effort, however, it will prevent accidental and casual copying by those that know no better, do not care, or can't be bothered removing the DRM. The latter, despite how it may appear in the arguments here on MobileRead, is most probably the vast majority of your potential readers.

Personally, I distribute my books without DRM*. I choose this because I don't want to discourage anyone from giving my work a try, not even those relative few that object to the presence DRM. My experience has been that the most difficult part of publishing is actually attracting an audience, so I remove as many impediments as I can.

* Note that some retailers will add DRM anyway.

Cinisajoy · 09-11-2015, 10:34 AM

There is only one guaranteed way to keep your book safe from pirates.
Keep it in your head.

Now that being said,
The thing with most "pirate" sites is they do not actually have your book. They have scraped the blurb and cover. They are usually either after credit cards or they want to install crap on your computer.

Your best bet is don't worry about it.

JSWolf · 09-11-2015, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vallebona

Dear Sirs,

I read very often, that DRM solutions are unuseful, to avoid illegal copies of e-books. I would like to know, if there is a good solution to protect e-books. If I apply an open solution without DRM, should I accept as well, that my e-books could be stolen and reproduced very easily?
Thank you in advance.

Best Regards

Claudio Vallebona

DRM is useless. A lot of people won't buy an eBook with DRM they cannot remove. And DRM that cannot be removed is DRM that most cannot use. Your best bet is to go without DRM.

theducks · 09-11-2015, 07:42 PM

DRM

Don't Read Me

Destroyed Reading Material

JSWolf · 09-11-2015, 08:18 PM

I used to know someone who would pirate the heck out of something that originally came with DRM and had the DRM removed. He would not pirate anything that came DRM free.

Tenzin_la · 09-11-2015, 08:33 PM

I have published peer-review journal articles that are not supposed to be photocopied and distributed. I know that it was. Now I find out even more when students email me about my few articles.

I have worked at Universities here in the States and in England. (This was way before computers were common place.) Copyright laws have never been adhered to at the University level.

I have written some (fairly lengthy) technical 'How To' manuals and I'm glad to share.

I have also published a work of fiction. I'm not sure how much the demand is; I'm sure not going to be rich!

It's a very difficult question. As a reader, I will not ever support any published work that has DRM that cannot be removed. The same goes for movies and such.

I want to be able to use purchased items however I like. (Obviously that does not include sharing them.)

HarryT · 09-12-2015, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenzin_la

I have published peer-review journal articles that are not supposed to be photocopied and distributed. I know that it was. Now I find out even more when students email me about my few articles.

If your articles were published in peer-reviewed journals, surely they are available entirely legally via the standard academic journal systems such as JSTOR, are they not, which every university offers students access to?

Quote:

I have worked at Universities here in the States and in England. (This was way before computers were common place.) Copyright laws have never been adhered to at the University level.

I must very respectfully disagree with you. I am currently studying part-time for a degree in Egyptology at the University of Manchester in England, and there copyright is taken very seriously indeed. All students have to take a mandatory course which explains in great detail what copyright law does or does not permit.

shalym · 09-12-2015, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I must very respectfully disagree with you. I am currently studying part-time for a degree in Egyptology at the University of Manchester in England, and there copyright is taken very seriously indeed. All students have to take a mandatory course which explains in great detail what copyright law does or does not permit.

I guess your university takes it much more seriously than the ones my children went to/are going to, then. Between the two of them they've attended 4 different schools in the past 5 years and none of them had a course like that.

Shari

HarryT · 09-12-2015, 03:34 PM

I'm sure it does vary, yes. I was disagreeing with the blanket statement that it's "never" taken seriously. A single counter-example is all that's necessary to demonstrate that such a statement is false.

shalym · 09-12-2015, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm sure it does vary, yes. I was disagreeing with the blanket statement that it's "never" taken seriously. A single counter-example is all that's necessary to demonstrate that such a statement is false.

Ah--you are right, of course. Sorry...I didn't read the post closely enough, and missed the "never".

Shari

megapix99 · 10-13-2015, 05:51 AM

Counterfeit is the greatest form of flatter. Only the price is you're being robbed.

Bottom line: If they want it, DRM or not, they've got it.

Many. but not all ebook publication websites run searches to see if the work proposed contains vast amounts of copied material.

You should run Google searches too, to see if anything pops up.

If it's a rip-off you take action. Having of course registered you work with either the WGA East or West and copyrighted it at the Library of Congress. Without copyright registered at the LoC LEGAL redress and damages will be severely restricted

09-11-2015, 04:24 AM	#1
Vallebona Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2015 Device: Kindle Software for PC and Calibre for Win PCs	E-Book protection Dear Sirs, I read very often, that DRM solutions are unuseful, to avoid illegal copies of e-books. I would like to know, if there is a good solution to protect e-books. If I apply an open solution without DRM, should I accept as well, that my e-books could be stolen and reproduced very easily? Thank you in advance. Best Regards Claudio Vallebona

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09-11-2015, 05:54 AM	#2
faltradl Guru Posts: 602 Karma: 1712372 Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: germany Device: PocketBook Touch	A good solution? There is one: Don't give your ebook to anyone. And it will be the only way. Any other protection can be cracked. Perhaps not at once, but it's only a matter of time.

09-11-2015, 07:58 AM	#4
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,044 Karma: 459735575 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	This has been gone over several times. DRM doesn't really stop anyone from making copies, if they want to. But it does annoy legitimate readers who would like to read on their choice of devices. Most of your readers will be honest, and you can't really stop the thieves. I prefer to publish without DRM, mostly because I prefer to read without DRM.

09-11-2015, 10:34 AM	#6
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	There is only one guaranteed way to keep your book safe from pirates. Keep it in your head. Now that being said, The thing with most "pirate" sites is they do not actually have your book. They have scraped the blurb and cover. They are usually either after credit cards or they want to install crap on your computer. Your best bet is don't worry about it.

09-11-2015, 07:42 PM	#8
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,909 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	DRM Don't Read Me Destroyed Reading Material

09-11-2015, 08:18 PM	#9
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,157 Karma: 144284184 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I used to know someone who would pirate the heck out of something that originally came with DRM and had the DRM removed. He would not pirate anything that came DRM free.

09-11-2015, 08:33 PM	#10
Tenzin_la Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 26718 Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Long Island, NY - USA Device: Oasis	I have published peer-review journal articles that are not supposed to be photocopied and distributed. I know that it was. Now I find out even more when students email me about my few articles. I have worked at Universities here in the States and in England. (This was way before computers were common place.) Copyright laws have never been adhered to at the University level. I have written some (fairly lengthy) technical 'How To' manuals and I'm glad to share. I have also published a work of fiction. I'm not sure how much the demand is; I'm sure not going to be rich! It's a very difficult question. As a reader, I will not ever support any published work that has DRM that cannot be removed. The same goes for movies and such. I want to be able to use purchased items however I like. (Obviously that does not include sharing them.)

09-12-2015, 03:34 PM	#13
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'm sure it does vary, yes. I was disagreeing with the blanket statement that it's "never" taken seriously. A single counter-example is all that's necessary to demonstrate that such a statement is false.

10-13-2015, 05:51 AM	#15
megapix99 Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: asus fonepad android	Counterfeit is the greatest form of flatter. Only the price is you're being robbed. Bottom line: If they want it, DRM or not, they've got it. Many. but not all ebook publication websites run searches to see if the work proposed contains vast amounts of copied material. You should run Google searches too, to see if anything pops up. If it's a rip-off you take action. Having of course registered you work with either the WGA East or West and copyrighted it at the Library of Congress. Without copyright registered at the LoC LEGAL redress and damages will be severely restricted

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