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Publishers using DRM are the 'real pirates,' says Doctorow

Cory Doctorow, the keynote speaker at the O'Reilly Tools of Change (TOC) conference at the Frankfurt Book Fair, had a few choice words for publishers who continue to use DRM on their e-books, calling them "the real pirates," and "bent on the destruction of publishing."

Doctorow is the author of the Boing-Boing blog and long time activist in the industry.



Says Doctorow, via BookSeller.com: "Digital licensing systems currently employed destroy the bond between the readers and the book."

He continued that DRM was a "farcical" way to exploit consumers, adding that "there is no mechanism whereby a retailer of a [print] book can take it away from you," and that a system wherein that exists is "insane."

Doctorow concluded that the "most valuable asset that publishers have" is the knowledge that a book "is passed to kids or has come from your parents".

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 14 Oct 2009 20:59

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• 6 comments

• 5fdpfan

  I've not dealt with 4-books before so I have to ask. Is the drm used with this format of books as easy to circumvent as it is for music and movies? If so and at not that great of an inconvenience to the user, then thre's really no prlbem that I see. Purchase the books you want, strip away that garbage and let the publishers make themselves look foolish.

  14.10.2009 21:27 #1

• Hopium

  thanks but we didnt really need a blogger to tell us this

  15.10.2009 00:43 #2

• DXR88

  Originally posted by 5fdpfan: I've not dealt with 4-books before so I have to ask. Is the drm used with this format of books as easy to circumvent as it is for music and movies? If so and at not that great of an inconvenience to the user, then thre's really no prlbem that I see. Purchase the books you want, strip away that garbage and let the publishers make themselves look foolish.The problem with Digital Download DRM is that its so entwined with the object it protecting that attempts to modify it will often damage the Object whatever it maybe.
  
  the new Ibook has tabs, a built in numbering system, along with a 1 touch page flipping system and they dock with a Ibookshelf where you can store upto 32+ Ibooks depending on there size.

  15.10.2009 02:58 #3

• sailow

  Takes my e-book and makes it an i(nternet)-e-book.
  
  Making it a grounded ebook, that i can't read without an internet connection.

  15.10.2009 08:27 #4

• cart0181

  Gutenberg is thrashing in his grave.

  15.10.2009 12:27 #5

• JRude

  As long as dumbass users purchase wisps of air it will continue...unfortunately that's about the majority of the general public. This applies to ALL electronic media, apps and content. Collectively we get what we deserve.

  15.10.2009 13:51 #6