A new article in The Economist on a topic info pros talk about all of the time, DRM. It’s very likely this article has nothing new for infoDOCKET readers but it’s always interesting to read how the issue is explained to people who don’t focus on the topic.
Stoking the trend [removing DRM] is consumers’ growing realisation that they may not be (as they often think) buying their e-books, music downloads and other digital content outright. In many cases they are in effect just renting them, subject to tough rules buried in small print. Proprietary software can tie the e-book to a particular device. And the provider of the content can revoke the owner’s rights at whim.
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In October sales of the “Humble eBook Bundle”, a package of no-locks books for which consumers paid whatever they wanted (and chose how to split it between the author and a charity), was a big success. The average price paid was a record $14. Consumers seem to reward authors who trust them with their content.
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