DRM and eBooks

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In response to: It's time for a unified ebook format and the end of DRM

I think this article touches on some very good points. There isn't a need for DRM. DRM only harms legitimate users, because anyone who wants to pirate the product will either find a cracked/drm free version, or crack it themselves. The music industry eventually realised that the best way to compete with the pirates is to offer a product that has all the same features but is more convenient to download. The industry needs to realise that they need to make things easier than pirating and allow users complete control. Why would I want to take the legit route when it means I'm stuck with a product that I can't use as easily as an illegitimate copy? If every time I get the legal version I have to crack it just so I can have a copy on an iPad and Kindle, I'm much more likely to just get a pirated version in the first place.

Now, if you don't get DRM my choice changes to: do I go to the trouble of finding a torrent for an ebook that is the exact version I want and has a good number of peers, or do I just pay a small sum and download it from a retailer? Easy is better than free. Sure, some people are still going to pirate it just like some people will still pirate music, but they are the ones who were least likely to ever pay for it and are least affected by DRM, they are the ones that were never a sale.