Let us begin with a bit o’advice: limiting your audience is bad. Creating barriers to your products, never good. Unless maybe it’s the waiting list for the Birkin bag. Books are not Birkin bags. Just making sure we’re all on the same page.
We do not use any MSN services. We don’t. We won’t. We’re sorry. We don’t have a lot of faith in any current digital rights management system (this will likely change as the systems become more sophisticated and consumer-friendly). Penguin, of all publishers, should be thinking innovative rather than hamstrining itself. Of course, what do we know? It’s not like the resurgence of audiobooks has been driven by, oh, the iPod or anything (and it’s not like there’s another major source of audiobooks, that, uh, works perfectly with the iPod. Just saying.).
For related failures, see the new Napster.
2 responses so far ↓
Bill Peschel // Mar 11, 2005 at 7:00 pm
I deleted Microsoft’s book-reading software after discovering that the DRM completely prevented me from accessing any of my legally purchased books, and attempts to get it turned on via their Web site failed. Their “service” was as useful as a chocolate teakettle.
booksquare // Mar 11, 2005 at 8:53 pm
Welcome to my world! I believe, more than most, in the need to protect artists from piracy (this was once somewhat of a hobby). However, I believe that preventing the consumer from accessing materials is worse. I use media in different ways, and want to have that flexibility with songs/books/whatever that I’ve legally licensed.
I don’t need a chocolate teakettle. Cleaning up the mess is too much. And I’m lazy.