Last week, author (and former agent) Nathan Bransford took on Joe Wikert’s call for a DRM-free world of eBooks.
Although I think Bransford missed a core aspect of what makes DRM objectionable (it restricts markets), he did outline several reader-friendly outcomes he’d like to see implemented:
- The right to transfer libraries
- The ability to access a book on multiple devices
- The ability to give away an eBook
In Book: A Futurist’s Manifesto, Kassia Kroszer closes the second section with “A Reader’s Bill of Rights“, in which she extends Bransford’s list to include the right to:
- Valued (and error-free) content
- The whole book (including cover art)
- A reasonable price
- Excellent customer service
- Innovation, privacy and security
Search on “A reader’s bill of rights” and you’ll uncover a growing list of concerns with how publishers engage with the individuals and institutions (i.e., libraries) who see digital reading as an opportunity. That tension is the kind of situation that can foster piracy.
