There are de-DRM tools for the Kindle; I bought almost no Kindle books prior to finding them. Now I'm willing to buy some because it's relatively easy to remove the DRM.
Microsoft's eBook Apocalypse Shows the Dark Side of DRM
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Re: Microsoft's eBook Apocalypse Shows the Dark Side of DRM
#22For audio books I buy only from Downpour.com because they are DRM-free. Any recommendations for a site selling DRM-FREE ebooks for fiction?
Fiction? What's wrong with just perusing gutenberg.org for that. If you really care about paying them for the e-books, they do take donations.
Re: Microsoft's eBook Apocalypse Shows the Dark Side of DRM
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or never buy DRM books to start with. I own a Kindle, however I only buy ebooks from stores that offer epub and PDF as well. At max with watermarks.
Any recommendations for such stores? I know of https://www.downpour.com for audio books and I get all my audio books from them since they are DRM-free. Would love to know of such a service for ebooks, but for fiction.
Baen Books
They have always been very customer friendly. They have a "free library" section, too. (Often has such things as the first book in a series.)
J Novel Club
Translated Japanese light novels. There's a membership that lets you read along as they translate, but if you purchase the ebook when they're done, it's DRM free.
And of course http://www.gutenberg.org/
Re: Microsoft's eBook Apocalypse Shows the Dark Side of DRM
#24This isn’t the first time for MS, and certainly not the first time the dark side of DRM has shown itself. MSN music: https://www.cnet.com/news/defunct-msn-music-has-a-drm-contro... Zune’s servers shut down in 2017, but at least you could download free MP3 versions of everything. https://www.thurrott.com/music-videos/groove-music/82201/buy...
The whole Microsoft is one big dark side. Ok, just 80% of it.
Re: Microsoft's eBook Apocalypse Shows the Dark Side of DRM
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
The right sale doctrine doesn’t apply to products like these; these are licenses to use. If they were first sale doctrine products, you could sell your goods on secondary markets, which you cannot.
There should be some crackdown on selling licenses over products. It is abused to absurd extends.
Indeed. Some stores sell this license above market rate as well compared to an actual purchase of a good. Infuriating.
Re: Microsoft's eBook Apocalypse Shows the Dark Side of DRM
#26That’s why is started decrypting and making backups of my ebooks.
Happy to play the corporate’s game but only to a point. And it’s clear that one need a plan B cause corporates will go nuclear without hesitation. So I don’t feel bad at all about bending the rules on this
Re: Microsoft's eBook Apocalypse Shows the Dark Side of DRM
#27> Microsoft will refund customers in full for what they paid, plus an extra $25 if they made annotations or mark-ups. Doesn’t seem all that nefarious. Get your money back, order the paperbacks. No DRM issues again.
That's still showing the dark side of DRM. However it is also Microsoft handling that dark side in a professional way.
If a game developer shuts down their game servers, do they release the binaries? Some do, I guess. I've even seen some software companies release the source if/when they shut down.
Re: Microsoft's eBook Apocalypse Shows the Dark Side of DRM
#28It’s not the dark side, it’s the designed in primary side.
The ability to view drm’d content is almost just an optional side benefit.
I still think legislation should require any product sold with a buy/purchase button should be required to continue functioning even if the “product” is shut down.
Re: Microsoft's eBook Apocalypse Shows the Dark Side of DRM
#291. How much cost is really involved in keeping up the DRM server in maintenance mode on Azure? 2. Maybe this will give the EFF enough case study to argue (successfully, finally) that the DMCA allows corporations to create rules that violate other existing laws such as the right of first sale.
The right sale doctrine doesn’t apply to products like these; these are licenses to use. If they were first sale doctrine products, you could sell your goods on secondary markets, which you cannot.
That’s a descriptive argument (describing what is, based on technicalities). I’m making a proscriptive argument about what should be. When DRM replaces an entire market, it’s reasonable for customers to have similar expectations. Eg when I die, I should be able to bequeath my library.
Re: Microsoft's eBook Apocalypse Shows the Dark Side of DRM
#301. How much cost is really involved in keeping up the DRM server in maintenance mode on Azure? 2. Maybe this will give the EFF enough case study to argue (successfully, finally) that the DMCA allows corporations to create rules that violate other existing laws such as the right of first sale.
The right sale doctrine doesn’t apply to products like these; these are licenses to use. If they were first sale doctrine products, you could sell your goods on secondary markets, which you cannot.
Has that been decided by the courts for the various digital product types (software, books, music, videos, etc.)?