Slightly off topic - Ebooks

[blu-Z8efaSeK1ezqlBn2x/YWAg at public.gmane.org (Edward Ned Harvey)]

> Publishers
> are going to either move to DRM-free ebooks or find themselves doing
> too much work for too little return. 

I disagree with, but respect your opinion that DRM will disappear.  In
today's implementation, I know amazon uses a proprietary e-book format with
DRM (I'm not sure if the same is true for other book sellers).  But there's
nothing preventing the publishers and booksellers from agreeing on a single
format (or a few standard formats) which support DRM.  I take that back ...
Amazon might feel they make more money by not supporting compatible formats.
It creates a barrier for other booksellers, if Amazon is able to maintain
their monopoly on certain materials, then their proprietary format provides
them a monopoly on e-book readers that can read those materials.  I don't
think this will remain unchanged, but it's possible.  I predict these
booksellers and publishers will move toward compatible formats that support
DRM.

So ... The question naturally arises, which cost is higher for the
publishers/booksellers?  The cost of supporting DRM, or the cost of having
no DRM?  If you have no DRM, there will be increased piracy, lost revenue,
and just as has sometimes happened in the music industry, sometimes some
individuals or publishers will prosecute offenders, just for the sake of
scaring all the other people into stopping the piracy.  There's cost in that
too.

And this is where we disagree.  I predict the cost of DRM will pay off for
the publishers, and they'll continue to use it.  They'll consider it a
necessary overhead.