09-12-2003, 03:00 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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DRM Takes a Hit
The most-discussed news of the past week was the sudden announcement from book retailing giant Barnes & Nobles that they were getting out of the eBook business and customers have until December 9th to download their books. The real problem here, however, is that it likely won't be possible to reactivate the books after December 9th if customers hard reset their Pocket PCs, do a ROM upgrade, etc.
In the words of Ed Hansberry, "If there was ever an acceptable argument for DRM5 encrypted eBooks, it just died." I couldn't agree more! Buying a book and then losing access to your purchase because of a few digital bits that are no longer accessible on a server is frustrating beyond words.
Fundamentally, the real problem with DRM in its current incarnation is that it tries to tie the digital rights to a piece of hardware rather than to the person that bought it. Hardware comes and goes, but the person stays the same, so why are we tying it to hardware? All we need is an authentication system like Microsoft Passport, and once the purchased content is tied to that account, you could pick up any Pocket PC and read your eBook, sit down at any computer and listen to your own legal music, or pick up any laptop and stream your legally purchased videos. At the most basic level, the current DRM implementation is fatally flawed because it assumes that the display mechanism (the device) is unchanging. How would you feel if your documents saved on one hard drive couldn't be transferred to a new computer and opened there?
Microsoft has expanded the number of devices that can be activated, but that only puts sugar on top of a foul-tasting mess that ultimately needs to be destroyed and built back up again from scratch. I don't begrudge content creators the ability to protect their content, but the current method takes the user out of the equation, which as demonstrated by Barnes and Noble, is a fatal step.
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09-12-2003, 03:11 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 184
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I tried to download my books from B&N thinking I could store them on my computer for safe keeping. However, unlike Palm Digital, they can only be downloaded into your desktop Reader. You can not download them into a file on your computer for safe keeping. Also, 2 of the books I tried to download wouldn't even dowload into the Reader. I got a screen saying that I needed to activate my Reader. Funny thing is that my other books downloaded just fine so obviously there is no activation problems (the Reader even states it is activated). So good riddance to B&N e-books. Long live Palm Digiatl Media.
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09-12-2003, 03:12 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,639
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I agree with you 100%.
I always remove the DRM from eBooks that I buy, not because I want to cheat the writer or publisher, because I want the flexibility to be able to read my book on whatever platform I choose in the future.
Who's to say that in a couple of years I will still be using PPCs as my reading devices? Linux is going to get better and even Palm with OS6 and future versions might well come up with something I want to change to. I certainly do not want to have to re-purchase books I have paid for to read on a new OS device.
MS Reader makes the whole process too dificult for many people to be able to simply purchase books, download them and read them. Look at all the problems people here had with the free ones. These are generally PPC enthusiasts who like messing around with their PPCs. Not many others are going to be bothered with all this aggravation, which must be at least part of the reason that BN.com failed.
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Originally Posted by Gator5000e
I tried to download my books from B&N thinking I could store them on my computer for safe keeping.
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You can download the files onto your hard disc. There are a few threads around with the best way to do it. Do a quick search and you should find them.
__________________
Cheers!
David
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09-12-2003, 03:18 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 485
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The DRM in MS Reader is tied to your Passport. Your copy of Reader is activated with information from your Passport.
You can read your DRM MS Reader titles on any device activated with your Passport, up to an unspecified limit of devices. The people who bought from B&N should still be able to read their books on any device that they are able to activate Reader on.
I don't like DRM myself either but I think that the withdrawal of B&N has been over-egged, even "sexed up" to use a topical phrase over here!
It is not as if MS were refusing to activate any more copies of Reader...
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09-12-2003, 03:43 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 153
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Kill that MS reader already. It's fubar and a waste of ROM space. Same with CF .net.
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09-12-2003, 04:03 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 32
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MS Reader is an excellent case study in how to overprotect, restrict, and otherwise discourage a product's use all in the name of (caution: swear word): copyright.
Copyright Fundamentalists: TechnoTerrorists in our age
One day, just like with those ancient hardcopy magazines and books, consumers will actually be able to *easily* use the products they purchase -- and won't have to jump through a series of loops just to open a book, or "activate" a product. It will just take the erradication of Copyright Fundamentalists (RIAA is akin to alQaeda).
We're close to the end-of-the-line of copyright in the Digital Economy, having just begun to see how it is slowing down and hampering an otherwise good market (e.g., eBooks, music).
--> We need to rethink copyright, and exegete the poor ol' concept in the context of our present technology and consumers' desire for easy-use. Otherwise, trust me, the Chinese will trounce us in 10 years on a number of media fronts.
If the standards don't conform to consumer desires, the Chinese shall.
Seriously. Mark my words for 10 years hence.
.rob adams
P.S. Unionize yourselves while it's still legal.
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09-12-2003, 04:07 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 693
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>they can only be downloaded into your desktop Reader. You can not download them into a file on your computer for safe keeping
Eh, I have never bought any DRM5 protected ebooks but don't they end up in \My Documents\My Library as all other MS Reader files?
Jorgen
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09-12-2003, 04:13 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by ChristopherTD
The DRM in MS Reader is tied to your Passport. Your copy of Reader is activated with information from your Passport.
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Ok, perhaps I've misunderstood how the process works - I've never bought any DRM5-encrypted eBooks before - but you're saying that the DRM5 activation process doesn't involve B&N in any way? That as long as you download the books from B&N, you're 100% safe because when the activation process occurs on a hard-reset Pocket PC, it doesn't need to talk to the B&N server for any reason?
If that's accurate, then you're right, I misunderstood the process.
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09-12-2003, 04:16 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 382
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by egoz
Unionize yourselves while it's still legal.
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What? I didn't know they were planning on compulsory ionization! (Sorry, us chemists always have problems with that word).
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09-12-2003, 04:21 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 153
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I like to keep all my electrons for myself thank you very much!
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Linear Mode
