DRM (Digital Rights Management)
DRM (Digital Rights Management) is a technology that publishers use to protect eBooks from copyright infringement, by controlling who can read them, and restricting what can be done with them. The purpose of DRM is to prevent eBooks from being copied and distributed illegally. Most eBooks sold today come with DRM.
Some of the criticism towards DRM:
- DRM often prevents legitimate customers from using the book they way they want to. The restrictions that legitimate customers face when using DRM eBooks, sometimes motivates them to rather opt for the restriction-free pirated versions. For many publishers, fear of piracy often results in a strong focus on DRM instead of offering a great service to readers.
- As most pirated eBooks actually originate through the process of physically scanning print books, the DRM restrictions on eBooks doesn’t really have much of a preventative effect.
Delaying Release of eBooks (Don’t do this)
- Simon & Schuster, the publisher of Stephen King’s ‘Under the Dome’, delayed the eBook release for a few weeks.
- Within days, scanned versions of ‘Under the Dome’ surfaced online.
- Result: tens of thousands of people downloaded unauthorized eBook versions of the book.
Digital Bans (Don’t do this either)
For those that were wondering, yes, it is actually possible to encourage people to pirate your books.
- J.K. Rowling has not allowed any of her books to be made available in digital form.
- However, each one of her titles were available in eBook format within hours of print release.
- Her titles are amongst most popular and most pirated eBooks year after year. But... No royalties go to J.K. Rowling.
