Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by mseebach 4344 days ago
We can complain all we want, but I struggle to see how we can place meaningful pressure on publishers.

I wanted to say that it's like iTunes and the switch to non-DRM, but I think the dynamic is different with Amazon as there isn't any meaningful competition on the e-reader device market as there was (and is) on the MP3 player market, where DRM was a major pain and thus a driver for DRM-free.

Short of Amazon pressuring publishers to drop DRM (which could well happen, but there's not a lot of business upside to it, although do downside either), I guess it will take a viable competitor to the Kindle that Amazon can't or won't provide an app for for DRM to get pressured out by end user market force.

1 comments

...I struggle to see how we can place meaningful pressure on publishers.

I've never "bought" an e-book with DRM. (With DRM it isn't really a purchase, but rather a lease of indeterminate term.) I don't find it a struggle.