Event

BookCamp 2011 Session: DRM. The devil's best move

Did you know that when you buy a digital book in most cases it doesn’t really belong to you? Did you know that the publisher can know what page you started reading on and what passage you have re-read the most? Were you aware that, after you buy a digital book, it can be removed from your digital reader without your consent? Or that, in most cases, you’re not allowed to lend it to a friend?

These are breaches of readers’ rights which we as consumers would never be willing to accept when buying a printed volume and yet they are permitted as a rule when we buy books online. Why is that? Lack of awareness? Are there alternatives?

During this session we will explain what DRM (Digital Rights Management) is and how it affects readers and, indirectly, publishers. We will also take a look at its downsides in terms of the new business models appearing in the digital publishing field. We will also assess what are the possible alternatives to these control systems for both publishers and readers.