DRM and Books

[cronicler]

There has been a lot of debate on Drm issues. I recently read this chain of essays on Drm written by Eric Flint . I think he advocates some real points (instead of the usual you just want to skimp on paying / info wants to be free and other bull. we see on these debates)

 

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

 

 

Now his arguments are more about Written materials and can be applied to Music but it does explain some of the basic misconceptions about the main issue of DRM

 

Enjoy!

[Blarghagh]

Interestingly, I didn't even know books were pirated. Music, movies, software, I knew this. Never heard of a book pirated though.

[cronicler]

TrueNatural: It is easy to miss the implications of internet on the written words when you are constantly hammered by the Music and Movie and Game sectors' outcries about the net.

 

However the roots of concepts like IP, Copy"right" and Digital"rights"managemet are all in the world of written materials. I thought it would give people a clearer wiev of how things statred and how things got so warped.

 

As a bookworm, the explanation of how Copy"right" kills a book's availability was even new to me.

Edited August 4, 2009 by cronicler

[Calax]

If I remember the gist of the article (or a similar one) it's basically "due to DRM on these electronic books, those who are sight impared are incapable of enjoying the books because the software they use to change the text into audio triggers the DRM scheme. So what ends up happening is that a good citizen turns around and pirates the bloody thing simply so that they can enjoy the book they purchased".

 

THen I think they mentioned that one of the harry potter books (the last one maybe?) is about 500 pages in written format, but the one for the blind is something like 6 volumes each bout 700 pages of brail. Thus it makes more sense for them to either have the book read to them by a family member/friend, or to have the book converted to audio.

 

*shrugs* They make a good case, but most of the DRM problems with books don't translate into the Gaming, Movie, or music mediums all that well. Simply because usually the DRM schemes don't deny us the very reason we PURCHASED the thing (ok, on games SOME do, but 90% of the schemes out there don't). So while the DRM point is valid to a degree with the other media, I don't think it's gonna hold that much water in the public perception.

 

Then again, maybe I'm overestimating the public at large who don't deal with DRM on games... Probably if they were to read this article and then be told that there was DRM on a PC game, they'd think that the exact same thing happened with games.

[cronicler]

The problems that we face today (in gaming) associated with DRM are not about the DRM themselves but the mindset behind it. The whole mindset is shortsighted, monopolysing and lying trough its teeth.

 

We're calling the column "Salvos Against Big Brother" because that captures the key aspect of the problem, so far as Jim Baen and I are concerned. Both the publisher of this magazine and its editor believe that so-called Digital Rights Management (DRM)

Edited August 5, 2009 by cronicler