Comments on: Why DRM eBooks Aren't That Big of a Deal http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/drm-ebooks-big-deal/ Horror Writer and Political Thinker Sat, 17 Mar 2012 02:16:18 +0000 hourly 1 By: Aaron Ross Powell http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/drm-ebooks-big-deal/#comment-578 Aaron Ross Powell Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:18:36 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=539#comment-578 As always, thanks for the critique, Nate. My point is not that buying books on the Kindle is 1-to-1 the same thing as renting DVDs from Netflix. Rather, the way people interact with and consume books is closer to the way people interact with and consume Netflix DVDs than it is with the way they interact with and consume music. In nearly all instances, books are bought, read, and never looked at again, just as DVDs are rented, watched, and returned. Music, on the other hand, tends to get repeat usage: I buy a song from iTunes and I expect to listen to it over and over again--and to do so on multiple devices (my computer, my iPod, my smartphone, etc.). <br><br>DRM has a much greater impact on this music style usage than it does on the Netflix style usage. So if it is true that ebooks are, from the end user's perspective, more like Netflix than iTunes, then DRM isn't going to be as much trouble for end users of ebooks as it is for end users of music files.<br><br>Also, from this perspective, device lock in isn't that big of a deal, as having an ebook you can only read on your Kindle--which, as it stands, actually means only on your Kindle, iPod, PC, and (soon) Mac, thanks to Amazon spreading the Kindle brand to other platforms--isn't as limiting as having a song you can only listen to on your Zune.<br><br>Would it be better if ebooks were all sold as open, DRM free epubs? Probably, though not if it scares authors away from releasing electronic copies of their books. DRM will likely go away for books as it has (mostly) for music. But in the meantime, I don't see much point is Cory Doctorow-esque histrionics about the death of the book and screwed over readers. As always, thanks for the critique, Nate. My point is not that buying books on the Kindle is 1-to-1 the same thing as renting DVDs from Netflix. Rather, the way people interact with and consume books is closer to the way people interact with and consume Netflix DVDs than it is with the way they interact with and consume music. In nearly all instances, books are bought, read, and never looked at again, just as DVDs are rented, watched, and returned. Music, on the other hand, tends to get repeat usage: I buy a song from iTunes and I expect to listen to it over and over again–and to do so on multiple devices (my computer, my iPod, my smartphone, etc.).

DRM has a much greater impact on this music style usage than it does on the Netflix style usage. So if it is true that ebooks are, from the end user's perspective, more like Netflix than iTunes, then DRM isn't going to be as much trouble for end users of ebooks as it is for end users of music files.

Also, from this perspective, device lock in isn't that big of a deal, as having an ebook you can only read on your Kindle–which, as it stands, actually means only on your Kindle, iPod, PC, and (soon) Mac, thanks to Amazon spreading the Kindle brand to other platforms–isn't as limiting as having a song you can only listen to on your Zune.

Would it be better if ebooks were all sold as open, DRM free epubs? Probably, though not if it scares authors away from releasing electronic copies of their books. DRM will likely go away for books as it has (mostly) for music. But in the meantime, I don't see much point is Cory Doctorow-esque histrionics about the death of the book and screwed over readers.

]]> By: Aaron Ross Powell http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/drm-ebooks-big-deal/#comment-1668 Aaron Ross Powell Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:18:00 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=539#comment-1668 As always, thanks for the critique, Nate. My point is not that buying books on the Kindle is 1-to-1 the same thing as renting DVDs from Netflix. Rather, the way people interact with and consume books is closer to the way people interact with and consume Netflix DVDs than it is with the way they interact with and consume music. In nearly all instances, books are bought, read, and never looked at again, just as DVDs are rented, watched, and returned. Music, on the other hand, tends to get repeat usage: I buy a song from iTunes and I expect to listen to it over and over again--and to do so on multiple devices (my computer, my iPod, my smartphone, etc.). DRM has a much greater impact on this music style usage than it does on the Netflix style usage. So if it is true that ebooks are, from the end user's perspective, more like Netflix than iTunes, then DRM isn't going to be as much trouble for end users of ebooks as it is for end users of music files.Also, from this perspective, device lock in isn't that big of a deal, as having an ebook you can only read on your Kindle--which, as it stands, actually means only on your Kindle, iPod, PC, and (soon) Mac, thanks to Amazon spreading the Kindle brand to other platforms--isn't as limiting as having a song you can only listen to on your Zune.Would it be better if ebooks were all sold as open, DRM free epubs? Probably, though not if it scares authors away from releasing electronic copies of their books. DRM will likely go away for books as it has (mostly) for music. But in the meantime, I don't see much point is Cory Doctorow-esque histrionics about the death of the book and screwed over readers. As always, thanks for the critique, Nate. My point is not that buying books on the Kindle is 1-to-1 the same thing as renting DVDs from Netflix. Rather, the way people interact with and consume books is closer to the way people interact with and consume Netflix DVDs than it is with the way they interact with and consume music. In nearly all instances, books are bought, read, and never looked at again, just as DVDs are rented, watched, and returned. Music, on the other hand, tends to get repeat usage: I buy a song from iTunes and I expect to listen to it over and over again–and to do so on multiple devices (my computer, my iPod, my smartphone, etc.). DRM has a much greater impact on this music style usage than it does on the Netflix style usage. So if it is true that ebooks are, from the end user's perspective, more like Netflix than iTunes, then DRM isn't going to be as much trouble for end users of ebooks as it is for end users of music files.Also, from this perspective, device lock in isn't that big of a deal, as having an ebook you can only read on your Kindle–which, as it stands, actually means only on your Kindle, iPod, PC, and (soon) Mac, thanks to Amazon spreading the Kindle brand to other platforms–isn't as limiting as having a song you can only listen to on your Zune.Would it be better if ebooks were all sold as open, DRM free epubs? Probably, though not if it scares authors away from releasing electronic copies of their books. DRM will likely go away for books as it has (mostly) for music. But in the meantime, I don't see much point is Cory Doctorow-esque histrionics about the death of the book and screwed over readers.

]]> By: Aaron Ross Powell http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/drm-ebooks-big-deal/#comment-1281 Aaron Ross Powell Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:18:00 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=539#comment-1281 As always, thanks for the critique, Nate. My point is not that buying books on the Kindle is 1-to-1 the same thing as renting DVDs from Netflix. Rather, the way people interact with and consume books is closer to the way people interact with and consume Netflix DVDs than it is with the way they interact with and consume music. In nearly all instances, books are bought, read, and never looked at again, just as DVDs are rented, watched, and returned. Music, on the other hand, tends to get repeat usage: I buy a song from iTunes and I expect to listen to it over and over again--and to do so on multiple devices (my computer, my iPod, my smartphone, etc.). DRM has a much greater impact on this music style usage than it does on the Netflix style usage. So if it is true that ebooks are, from the end user's perspective, more like Netflix than iTunes, then DRM isn't going to be as much trouble for end users of ebooks as it is for end users of music files. Also, from this perspective, device lock in isn't that big of a deal, as having an ebook you can only read on your Kindle--which, as it stands, actually means only on your Kindle, iPod, PC, and (soon) Mac, thanks to Amazon spreading the Kindle brand to other platforms--isn't as limiting as having a song you can only listen to on your Zune. Would it be better if ebooks were all sold as open, DRM free epubs? Probably, though not if it scares authors away from releasing electronic copies of their books. DRM will likely go away for books as it has (mostly) for music. But in the meantime, I don't see much point is Cory Doctorow-esque histrionics about the death of the book and screwed over readers. As always, thanks for the critique, Nate. My point is not that buying books on the Kindle is 1-to-1 the same thing as renting DVDs from Netflix. Rather, the way people interact with and consume books is closer to the way people interact with and consume Netflix DVDs than it is with the way they interact with and consume music. In nearly all instances, books are bought, read, and never looked at again, just as DVDs are rented, watched, and returned. Music, on the other hand, tends to get repeat usage: I buy a song from iTunes and I expect to listen to it over and over again–and to do so on multiple devices (my computer, my iPod, my smartphone, etc.).

DRM has a much greater impact on this music style usage than it does on the Netflix style usage. So if it is true that ebooks are, from the end user’s perspective, more like Netflix than iTunes, then DRM isn’t going to be as much trouble for end users of ebooks as it is for end users of music files.

Also, from this perspective, device lock in isn’t that big of a deal, as having an ebook you can only read on your Kindle–which, as it stands, actually means only on your Kindle, iPod, PC, and (soon) Mac, thanks to Amazon spreading the Kindle brand to other platforms–isn’t as limiting as having a song you can only listen to on your Zune.

Would it be better if ebooks were all sold as open, DRM free epubs? Probably, though not if it scares authors away from releasing electronic copies of their books. DRM will likely go away for books as it has (mostly) for music. But in the meantime, I don’t see much point is Cory Doctorow-esque histrionics about the death of the book and screwed over readers.

]]> By: Nate http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/drm-ebooks-big-deal/#comment-577 Nate Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:29:09 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=539#comment-577 The comaprison between the Kindle and Netflix is decidely not apt. Netflix rents DVDs, ostensibly Amazon is selling ebooks. The Kindle DRM scheme translated to DVDs would<br>mean that DVDs purchased from Best Buy worked only on Best Buy brand players, and only on a specified number of players. And that they claimed the right to reclaim the DVDs at any time. Were that the case, you can bet that there would be a campaign. <br><br>As a practical matter, the Kindle DRM is not sufficiently intrusive to anger me. Nor are there enought competitors for it to hinder me. But that doesn't make it a benefit to consumers, or mean that the detriment it brings to consumer are nonexistent. The comaprison between the Kindle and Netflix is decidely not apt. Netflix rents DVDs, ostensibly Amazon is selling ebooks. The Kindle DRM scheme translated to DVDs would
mean that DVDs purchased from Best Buy worked only on Best Buy brand players, and only on a specified number of players. And that they claimed the right to reclaim the DVDs at any time. Were that the case, you can bet that there would be a campaign.

As a practical matter, the Kindle DRM is not sufficiently intrusive to anger me. Nor are there enought competitors for it to hinder me. But that doesn't make it a benefit to consumers, or mean that the detriment it brings to consumer are nonexistent.

]]> By: Nate http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/drm-ebooks-big-deal/#comment-1667 Nate Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:29:00 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=539#comment-1667 The comaprison between the Kindle and Netflix is decidely not apt. Netflix rents DVDs, ostensibly Amazon is selling ebooks. The Kindle DRM scheme translated to DVDs wouldmean that DVDs purchased from Best Buy worked only on Best Buy brand players, and only on a specified number of players. And that they claimed the right to reclaim the DVDs at any time. Were that the case, you can bet that there would be a campaign. As a practical matter, the Kindle DRM is not sufficiently intrusive to anger me. Nor are there enought competitors for it to hinder me. But that doesn't make it a benefit to consumers, or mean that the detriment it brings to consumer are nonexistent. The comaprison between the Kindle and Netflix is decidely not apt. Netflix rents DVDs, ostensibly Amazon is selling ebooks. The Kindle DRM scheme translated to DVDs wouldmean that DVDs purchased from Best Buy worked only on Best Buy brand players, and only on a specified number of players. And that they claimed the right to reclaim the DVDs at any time. Were that the case, you can bet that there would be a campaign. As a practical matter, the Kindle DRM is not sufficiently intrusive to anger me. Nor are there enought competitors for it to hinder me. But that doesn't make it a benefit to consumers, or mean that the detriment it brings to consumer are nonexistent.

]]> By: Nate http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/drm-ebooks-big-deal/#comment-1280 Nate Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:29:00 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=539#comment-1280 The comaprison between the Kindle and Netflix is decidely not apt. Netflix rents DVDs, ostensibly Amazon is selling ebooks. The Kindle DRM scheme translated to DVDs would mean that DVDs purchased from Best Buy worked only on Best Buy brand players, and only on a specified number of players. And that they claimed the right to reclaim the DVDs at any time. Were that the case, you can bet that there would be a campaign. As a practical matter, the Kindle DRM is not sufficiently intrusive to anger me. Nor are there enought competitors for it to hinder me. But that doesn't make it a benefit to consumers, or mean that the detriment it brings to consumer are nonexistent. The comaprison between the Kindle and Netflix is decidely not apt. Netflix rents DVDs, ostensibly Amazon is selling ebooks. The Kindle DRM scheme translated to DVDs would
mean that DVDs purchased from Best Buy worked only on Best Buy brand players, and only on a specified number of players. And that they claimed the right to reclaim the DVDs at any time. Were that the case, you can bet that there would be a campaign.

As a practical matter, the Kindle DRM is not sufficiently intrusive to anger me. Nor are there enought competitors for it to hinder me. But that doesn’t make it a benefit to consumers, or mean that the detriment it brings to consumer are nonexistent.

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