Comments on: DRM: ‘Why are publishers making the same mistake that the record companies made with Apple?’ http://www.teleread.com/drm/drm-why-are-publishers-making-the-same-mistake-that-the-record-companies-made-with-apple/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:02:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Rich Adin http://www.teleread.com/drm/drm-why-are-publishers-making-the-same-mistake-that-the-record-companies-made-with-apple/comment-page-1/#comment-1016048 Rich Adin Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:50:40 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/02/28/drm-why-are-publishers-making-the-same-mistake-that-the-record-companies-made-with-apple/#comment-1016048 Robbie: The difference lies in ePub -- Sony 505 and 700 can read ePub, which is rapidly becoming the publishing industry standard format, natively and the Kindle can't. The Kindle can only read DRMed ebooks bought from Amazon; Sony Readers can, because of ePub, read DRMed ebooks bought from retailers other than Sony. Robbie: The difference lies in ePub — Sony 505 and 700 can read ePub, which is rapidly becoming the publishing industry standard format, natively and the Kindle can’t. The Kindle can only read DRMed ebooks bought from Amazon; Sony Readers can, because of ePub, read DRMed ebooks bought from retailers other than Sony.

]]> By: Robbie Clarken http://www.teleread.com/drm/drm-why-are-publishers-making-the-same-mistake-that-the-record-companies-made-with-apple/comment-page-1/#comment-1016036 Robbie Clarken Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:19:55 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/02/28/drm-why-are-publishers-making-the-same-mistake-that-the-record-companies-made-with-apple/#comment-1016036 These articles and the Slashdot comments always make me think of that great <a href="http://xkcd.com/546/" rel="nofollow">xkcd comic</a>. I get the feeling there is a small but highly vocal minority that will fight DRM tooth and nail. But then there is the bulk of consumers that just don't care. Amazon and the publishers are targeting the latter group. I think the publishers rightly predict that people won't feel locked into Amazon just because they've bought books from them in the past. I bought many Sony eBooks but that didn't stop me getting an iRex which can't read LRXs. I think most consumers buy a book, read it once then forget about it. If this is true (and I'll try and find some data sometime) then DRM is really not an issue. By the way, why do you think people worry about customers getting locked into Amazon but not Sony. Just because the Kindle is selling better? These articles and the Slashdot comments always make me think of that great xkcd comic. I get the feeling there is a small but highly vocal minority that will fight DRM tooth and nail. But then there is the bulk of consumers that just don’t care. Amazon and the publishers are targeting the latter group. I think the publishers rightly predict that people won’t feel locked into Amazon just because they’ve bought books from them in the past. I bought many Sony eBooks but that didn’t stop me getting an iRex which can’t read LRXs. I think most consumers buy a book, read it once then forget about it. If this is true (and I’ll try and find some data sometime) then DRM is really not an issue.

By the way, why do you think people worry about customers getting locked into Amazon but not Sony. Just because the Kindle is selling better?

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