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B&N Decides That Purchased Ebooks Are Only Yours Until Your Credit Card Expires

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Re: B&N Decides That Purchased Ebooks Are Only Yours Until Your Credit Card Expires

#31

Post by Tyr42 »

Profess wrote: post #24
pilif wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Valve lets me download games and films for gigs as much as I like only if you have a valid account with them. Which is the exact issue the original article was complaining about. Now, a Steam account stays valid even after the credit card has expired, but if you lose that account for whatever other reason, all your content is gone. Which is worse than many ebook readers because they will allow you to continue to ac…

How exactly do you lose an online account?

PayPal backs out of a transaction and locks your account after you try and pay steam with it. Steam say, hey, you didn't pay us, we're locking your account and you lose all your games that you've bought so far. True story, happened to my brother. Took hours on the phone to sort out. Still never using paypal for anything like that again.

Re: B&N Decides That Purchased Ebooks Are Only Yours Until Your Credit Card Expires

#32

Post by ht_th »

Profess wrote: post #24
pilif wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Valve lets me download games and films for gigs as much as I like only if you have a valid account with them. Which is the exact issue the original article was complaining about. Now, a Steam account stays valid even after the credit card has expired, but if you lose that account for whatever other reason, all your content is gone. Which is worse than many ebook readers because they will allow you to continue to ac…

How exactly do you lose an online account?

You don't have any real control over that account. I can think of ways to lose an account and while not all of them are very likely, I wouldn't be surprised to see all of them happen in, say, the next five years or so if they haven't already happened:

The database could get corrupt or the data center burnt down and if the service provider hasn't a good backup strategy your account could be gone. The same goes for unauthorized access to the database or your account, it can be removed without your say so. Or the service provider is shut down by the government for whatever reason. Or worse, your country decides that the service provider may not operate in your country and that all accounts of people from your country should be removed and they comply. Or some governmental agency takes all the servers of your service provider and won't give them back (in one piece).

Re: B&N Decides That Purchased Ebooks Are Only Yours Until Your Credit Card Expires

#34

Post by edanm »

jlgreco wrote: post #30
mcpherrinm wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can photocopy every page of your ebook too. Probably even easier to accomplish!

Unless I am mistaken, that would/could be legally considered circumventing DRM, and would therefore be technically illegal despite fair use (which would permit you to photocopy the print book legally).

I'm not sure there's a difference in photocopying an entire book and doing the same to a DRM book. Do you know specifically that there is a difference?

Re: B&N Decides That Purchased Ebooks Are Only Yours Until Your Credit Card Expires

#35

Post by galadriel »

edanm wrote: post #34
jlgreco wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless I am mistaken, that would/could be legally considered circumventing DRM, and would therefore be technically illegal despite fair use (which would permit you to photocopy the print book legally).

I'm not sure there's a difference in photocopying an entire book and doing the same to a DRM book. Do you know specifically that there is a difference?

One is a federal felony, other is a fair use.

EDIT: Specifically, it is against the law to break DRM (unless for few cases outlined by library of Congress), and the law as written makes no exceptions for fair use. The courts have also held in positive that it was Congress intend to make breaking DRM a crime even if there is a fair use case.

Re: B&N Decides That Purchased Ebooks Are Only Yours Until Your Credit Card Expires

#36

Post by rhizome »

ekianjo wrote: post #20
pilif wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can strip off DRM from an ebook. It's as illegal as photocopying every page, but slightly less cumbersome to do.

Where is it illegal to make a photocopy of your OWN book ? As far as I know, you are in your right to make a copy of something that you own for private use.

They're probably referring to the scare-o-grams posted at and recited by employees of copy shops.

Re: B&N Decides That Purchased Ebooks Are Only Yours Until Your Credit Card Expires

#37

Post by javajosh »

batiudrami wrote: post #17
javajosh wrote: post #6

The simple fact is that the ebook experience sucks all the way around. I gave it a shot with the Nook Touch, and I really dislike it, even if DRM wasn't an issue. Over the years my subconcious has grown used to indexing the story according to certain physical properties of the book. "Oh yes, that happend about a cm in on the right side page, like halfway down" is something I might think- but this coordinate system do…

Your experience is with ereaders is nearly the complete opposite of mine (putting DRM aside, like you). I love that I don't have to remember my page or use a bookmark, I love that I can change the font size, I love that I can select a word and get an instant definition for it, and I love how light it is to carry around and much more comfortable to read with. I prefer them over real books in every way (though, I'm fro…

>I love that I don't have to remember my page or use a bookmark

Is keeping your place really a problem for you? I've never found it to be. Those rare times I lose my place serve as a quick and easy review. And, actually I tend to use whatever is handy as a bookmark, which also adds to the charm of any particular book, now that I think about it.

You are absolutely right about the weight!

Re: B&N Decides That Purchased Ebooks Are Only Yours Until Your Credit Card Expires

#38

Post by batiudrami »

javajosh wrote: post #37
batiudrami wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your experience is with ereaders is nearly the complete opposite of mine (putting DRM aside, like you). I love that I don't have to remember my page or use a bookmark, I love that I can change the font size, I love that I can select a word and get an instant definition for it, and I love how light it is to carry around and much more comfortable to read with. I prefer them over real books in every way (though, I'm fro…

>I love that I don't have to remember my page or use a bookmark Is keeping your place really a problem for you? I've never found it to be. Those rare times I lose my place serve as a quick and easy review. And, actually I tend to use whatever is handy as a bookmark, which also adds to the charm of any particular book, now that I think about it. You are absolutely right about the weight!

It wasn't a huge problem, but it's a problem I'm glad I don't have now.

Re: B&N Decides That Purchased Ebooks Are Only Yours Until Your Credit Card Expires

#39

Post by e12e »

curiousdannii wrote: post #15
chrischen wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can photocopy or scan every page. It may not be easy, but it's doable, and the publisher does not have technology that actively prevents me from doing this.

@pilif, you're allowed to backup CDs and DVDs, why not books?

Are you allowed to do that in the US? I thought backing up a (movie) DVD would be considered circumventing DRM (CSS in this case) ?

Re: B&N Decides That Purchased Ebooks Are Only Yours Until Your Credit Card Expires

#40

Post by dansingerman »

Having had to get my hands dirty in the murky world of Adobe DRM, I am pretty sure this is actually an implementation problem with how Barnes & Noble have implemented it.

As crazy as it may seem, I believe in the B&N case the DRM licence is based on the credit card details.

Hence no more credit card, no more licence.

One day I may do a longer post how horrifyingly awful Adobe DRM is technically, (never mind the ethics), but knowing what I know, this is not any sort of surprise.

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