5 ms·

Ask HN: Making the Case for no DRM

3 points by nsomaru 14y ago

Hi HN! I live an volunteer at a non-profit in India. We are just about to release our books to the Amazon Kindle and iBooks stores. I am trying to make the case for no-DRM. Could you guys help with any links/studies you have found useful? The subject matter is spiritual/self-help.

DigitalSea 14y ago
It's all subjective really. DRM in my opinion is a way of basically saying, "We don't trust our own customers so we are going to make it harder for you to use your legitimate purchase on multiple devices, multiple times." the proof that DRM doesn't work? Look on The Pirate Bay, count the number of video games alone protected by DRM that have been cracked; Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3 and so on. The money spent on DRM is a waste, no matter how smart you think your DRM implementation is, there are people out there smarter with tonnes of free time to crack your DRM. Want to know what the best DRM implementation is? No DRM. Why? you won't make your customers feel like criminals which in term will make them not spite you. See how angry people get at those, "You wouldn't steal a car" anti-piracy adverts at the beginning of their purchased and rented DVD's? Perfect example of treating your customers like criminals. The bottom line is: if people want to steal your stuff, they will eventually find a way. Is it worth the extra added effort and cash to implement something you know for certain will be cracked? I don't think so. Just my two cents.
- nsomaru 14y ago
  Thanks for the reply. Without meaning offence, do you have any numbers/links to back your statements? I can't exactly present a report to a link to a HN thread...or can I? :)
  - DigitalSea 14y ago
    No worries dude. No offence taken, here are some links to various articles about why DRM is bad, including one about how DRM is crushing Indie booksellers. I'm sure there are more links and studies out there, but this should be enough to make a decent argument. DRM is crushing indie booksellers online http://paidcontent.org/2012/04/06/drm-is-crushing-indie-booksellers-online/ http://paidcontent.org/2012/04/06/drm-is-crushing-indie-book... It's time for a unified ebook format and the end of DRM by Joe Wikert http://radar.oreilly.com/2012/02/unified-ebook-format-end-drm.html http://radar.oreilly.com/2012/02/unified-ebook-format-end-dr... Cutting their own throats by Charlie Stross http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2011/11/cutting-their-own-throats.html http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2011/11/cutting-... Why DRM-Free eBooks Are a Very Good Thing by Laurie K http://www.stellarfour.com/2012/04/why-drm-free-ebooks-are-very-good-thing.html http://www.stellarfour.com/2012/04/why-drm-free-ebooks-are-v... Study: Freedom Of Expression Vs. DRM: The First Empirical Assessment by Patricia Akester http://www.ip-watch.org/2009/05/25/freedom-of-expression-versus-drm-the-first-empirical-assessment/ http://www.ip-watch.org/2009/05/25/freedom-of-expression-ver... Study: Are Digital Rights Valuable? Theory and Evidence from the eBook Industry http://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2004/42/ http://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2004/42/
mooism2 14y ago
Why does this organisation sell books? Is it to earn money which they can spend on their true purpose? Is it to spread the message contained in the books? A bit of both? If the point is to spread the message, why use a technology whose only purpose is to restrict that spread?
- jnorthrop 14y ago
  It is possible the non-profit is self-funded. In which case it would need a source of income to continue its mission.

3 points by nsomaru 14y ago

DigitalSea 14y ago

It's all subjective really. DRM in my opinion is a way of basically saying, "We don't trust our own customers so we are going to make it harder for you to use your legitimate purchase on multiple devices, multiple times." the proof that DRM doesn't work? Look on The Pirate Bay, count the number of video games alone protected by DRM that have been cracked; Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3 and so on. The money spent on DRM is a waste, no matter how smart you think your DRM implementation is, there are people out there smarter with tonnes of free time to crack your DRM. Want to know what the best DRM implementation is? No DRM. Why? you won't make your customers feel like criminals which in term will make them not spite you. See how angry people get at those, "You wouldn't steal a car" anti-piracy adverts at the beginning of their purchased and rented DVD's? Perfect example of treating your customers like criminals. The bottom line is: if people want to steal your stuff, they will eventually find a way. Is it worth the extra added effort and cash to implement something you know for certain will be cracked? I don't think so. Just my two cents.

nsomaru 14y ago
Thanks for the reply. Without meaning offence, do you have any numbers/links to back your statements? I can't exactly present a report to a link to a HN thread...or can I? :)
- DigitalSea 14y ago
  No worries dude. No offence taken, here are some links to various articles about why DRM is bad, including one about how DRM is crushing Indie booksellers. I'm sure there are more links and studies out there, but this should be enough to make a decent argument. DRM is crushing indie booksellers online http://paidcontent.org/2012/04/06/drm-is-crushing-indie-booksellers-online/ http://paidcontent.org/2012/04/06/drm-is-crushing-indie-book... It's time for a unified ebook format and the end of DRM by Joe Wikert http://radar.oreilly.com/2012/02/unified-ebook-format-end-drm.html http://radar.oreilly.com/2012/02/unified-ebook-format-end-dr... Cutting their own throats by Charlie Stross http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2011/11/cutting-their-own-throats.html http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2011/11/cutting-... Why DRM-Free eBooks Are a Very Good Thing by Laurie K http://www.stellarfour.com/2012/04/why-drm-free-ebooks-are-very-good-thing.html http://www.stellarfour.com/2012/04/why-drm-free-ebooks-are-v... Study: Freedom Of Expression Vs. DRM: The First Empirical Assessment by Patricia Akester http://www.ip-watch.org/2009/05/25/freedom-of-expression-versus-drm-the-first-empirical-assessment/ http://www.ip-watch.org/2009/05/25/freedom-of-expression-ver... Study: Are Digital Rights Valuable? Theory and Evidence from the eBook Industry http://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2004/42/ http://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2004/42/

mooism2 14y ago

Why does this organisation sell books? Is it to earn money which they can spend on their true purpose? Is it to spread the message contained in the books? A bit of both? If the point is to spread the message, why use a technology whose only purpose is to restrict that spread?

jnorthrop 14y ago
It is possible the non-profit is self-funded. In which case it would need a source of income to continue its mission.