Bookstore dialogues in France was among the first to open its site librairiedialogues.fr a radius of selling e-books. Radius and not hosting the "corner" of a supplier. A specified radius with integrated e-books the product record books so that the user can choose one-click buying the book is in its printed or embroidered bag is in digital format.
It is in the order of things that birth is painful. And the first steps are tentative. And so we agreed to the nearly our suppliers, insufficient information, or erroneous, even those in the same sheet article contradicted. We have, from day one, says our hostility to DRM. We, at the first false notes, brings to our suppliers' complaints of dissatisfied customers use limited and frustrating they could have digital books they had purchased. So this mail from a Canadian customer: "For me it's the last time I use this method of purchasing manual that I hate at the highest point. It is inconceivable to read a technical book that way especially when the graph is 2 pages before. $ 52 cdn to learn anything except to never use e-book and no longer trust this author who thinks that everyone is dishonest. Is it conceivable that (...) with a permission code to print ". He says exactly what to say e-books sold with DRM. Today, it's over. Go further would make us complicit in a scam to drive. We stop selling e-books with DRM. For three reasons:
1. The first reason, fundamentally, that that alone made me take this decision is an ethical reason. When one does business, if any act fair, do not take the client for a thief. Sell an e-book with DRM for the client buyer can not copy and paste his book, so that it can not print all or part of leisure, so that it can not lend, it is Beware a priori that customer. This is the handcuff or think a priori that the client is dishonest. Take a client for a thief, it is unbearable. So that's enough. Play this game providers gentlemen, my friends, if you like. But without my complicity.
2. Incidentally, the DRM is a technical imbecility. Structurally, fundamentally, the DRM does not work. It never worked. It will never work. Why? DRM is because a key is hidden in the software needed to read, either on a server. In the first case (Adobe DRM), at one time or another key will be found (already the case for adobe) in Second, the customer is subject to the whim of the dealer may decide one day to another to cut the server, thus blocking the copy from one device to another (cf. Yahoo Music 2008). DRM to books, is encourage those who like to puzzle over computer problems to seek and find a way to remove or circumvent them. And of course they are.
Those who seek and find the beauty of the gesture shown in so doing, the ineffectiveness of DRM. Then there are those who seek because they intend to hack. They think because the former are. And so, too, thieves, DRM does not bother.
There is a category of users that DRM bother. Those who are not computer experts. And those who are not pirates. These guys are pulling their hair to install Adobe Digital Editions Adobe to read an e-book, and they spend 20 or 30 minutes on the phone with our service department to try to install the thing against which they ranting . With these people the DRM works! Hurrah! Bad luck it is useless. They did not intend to steal. Nor to hack. Or disseminate. But perhaps lend their e-book as they are paying their book Gutenberg. Since Gutenberg books, those good old paper books, they are ready at your leisure. We can photocopy the pages, or extract: to work. To illustrate a presentation. To encourage reading. Without the authors are thereby damaged.
3. And then there's a third reason why we stop playing this game DRM which led the Major Companies of the disc, and with them the stores, the most beautiful industrial harakiri in recent years. The third reason is a question: what, who's the use DRM if it fuck the good people and it does not interfere with the thieves? And if this was not a Adobe huge scam and other large retailers in "closed" (Apple - iPad / Amazon - Kindle) to prevent small fish (too small booksellers) to approach the market. For after all DRM-free (there is more DRM music files today) has no worries bookseller to sell e-books to customers who wish to buy. E-books without DRM, then playable on any shelf (with DRM fnac customers will have to remember that it is fnac they bought their book. And if they bought Amazon they will have to remember that it is at Amazon, and if Apple ... Not just the technical progress ! We will continue to sell e-books, of course. Without DRM, or watermarked.)
And finally, this remark: it seems that the DRM it serves to protect the authors, in great danger of being robbed, deprived of their legitimate copyright. Deprived of their livelihood. Hmm? do they feel robbed when the authors say they share their book to their surroundings? encouraging them to read this book they liked, multiplying the word of mouth, which is the best advertising. One that sells. Dare I be iconoclastic? If there is a risk, I do not think - piracy disks is rather less now that the legal supply is technically and economically feasible - is what an author is not as well paid with fees charged at 20% with the digital rights to 5% for edition in hand, even a little illegal release?
