Tag Archives: DRM

Academic

The long and winding road to DRM-free eBooks in academic libraries

DRM-free label.en

The issues of eBooks in libraries, including those in academic libraries, is always challenging. We are at an exciting time of change in the ways we share information with our patrons – but of course, change means figuring out “hey – how is this supposed to work??”

You can check out part of this article by , in No Shelf Required, to get an idea about some of the issues involved in this issue.

“The issue of Digital Rights Management (DRM) has been around for as long as ebooks have been around—and not only ebooks, but digital content in general, including online journals, movies, TV shows, games, and software. DRM is usually discussed in the context of copyright and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, which makes circumvention of measures that control access to copyrighted works a civil offense (in some cases even a federal crime). But DRM isn’t copyright. It refers to actual technology—a code or a set of codes—applied to restrict the digital use of copyrighted materials. In the publishing world, it is a way of ‘protecting’ digital books against copyright infringement and piracy, which have been a major concern to publishers since the advent of the Internet. By using protection—usually via three DRM types, Amazon for Kindle, Apple’s FairPlay for iBookstore and Adobe’s Digital Editions Protection Technology—publishers (or copyright holders) are able to control what users can and cannot do with digital content.

Continue reading The long and winding road to DRM-free eBooks in academic libraries →

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Welcome to the weird world of DRM

Digital rights management (DRM), protection of copyrighted works by various means to control or prevent digital copies from being shared over computer networks or telecommunications networks, has made downloading and using your favorite content a little harder. The Harvard Business Review (HBR) recently highlighted some examples: Kindle books can’t be read on another device, Apple songs can’t be played on another device, and DRM makes it hard to fast forward through previews while watching a DVD.

So, why does DRM exist in the first place?

Kyle Wiens of HBR tells us “we are told that digital locks and DRM protect creative content and the creative-types who make it.” Quoting Cory Doctorow, he raises some good points about how locks on something you own without the key, isn’t for your benefit.

They whole article is quick and light and worth the read. Check it out now!

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist

Will ‘eBooksAreForever’ level the playing field?

time_alone3_hiresNate Hoffelder of Ink, Bits, & Pixels has shared news about a new startup program, eBooksAreForever.  In his post, Hoffelder points out the problems libraries can face when it comes to eBooks: the “annual fees, expiring licenses, and mysterious technical glitches.”  That’s where J. A. Konrath comes in.

Around this time last year he and August Wainwright launched eBooksAreForever, a startup that offers a library-friendly ebook solution.  Based on the idea that it’s more important to get ebooks into libraries than make a buck off of them, eBooksAreForever sells DRM-free ebooks under a ‘forever’ license. . .

Sounds exciting!  You can read more and join in the conversation here.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/neb497z
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Sony’s new product to sell used eBooks

booksDo you realize that when you click the BUY button on Amazon, Apple, Kobo, or Google, and you think you are buying an eBook, you are in fact simply licensing the book! Yep…it is true. This lack of clear ownership remains one of the murkiest problems in the eBook industry, one I have always resented!

I am thrilled by the news that Sony is addressing this problem with a new product. In fact, while defining clear ownership, they hope to also allow us to sell our used eBooks. Once sold, the book will actually disappear from the original owners account! Now we are talking….I am all about buying used when I can!

I admit, the technical details left me a bit mired, but read the full blog post to see what you think. Sounds like we can expect Sony to take this product to trade shows in Spring 2015! Read the full post at Sony Developing New DRM to Make Used eBooks Viable.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/ojj9olm, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

 

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Has OverDrive Gone Too Far?

Wait, where am I again?Once again, OverDrive is changing the rules, and the ReadersFirst Coalition of libraries are protesting! According to OverDrive, the improvements to the OverDrive app are in direct response to what libraries have been asking for, an easier user experience. While the good news is that the app would no longer require users to register for an Adobe ID (to navigate the DRM), new users would have to register with OverDrive for an account. Let me repeat….the twist  going forward for new OverDrive app users, including library patrons, will be a registration step with OverDrive. This shifts the eBook relationship that has been between the library and the patron, over to OverDrive! The devil is in the details, so read the full blog post for more important information.

What do you think…..who owns the customer relationship, libraries, or the vendors they pay for content?

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/mm5huga, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0