[Athen] More on DRM for Apple iPad ebooks

[Shelley Haven]

> Someone will find (probably already has found) a way to crack the  

> FairPlay DRM Apple uses in iTunes...


Yes, in fact it was done a few years ago by "DVD Jon" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Lech_Johansen 
) who is world famous for reverse engineering just about every DRM out  
there, from DVDs to iTunes.  He and others have even created a company  
around the anti-DRM philosophy, doubleTwist:
http://www.doubletwist.com/dt/Home/Index.dt


> --and if I were interested in pirating books, the insult and  

> infantilization would provide strong motivation.



As a good friend once told me, "Locks are to keep honest people  
honest".  If a person is intent on pirating music, software, or books,  
they're probably going to find a way around any restriction regardless  
of the DRM used.  The main purpose of a DRM "lock", in my opinion, is  
just to thwart any fleeting temptation by the other 99+ percent of  
users.

- Shelley

_____________________________
Shelley Haven  ATP, RET
Assistive Technology Consultant
Shelley at TechPotential.net
www.TechPotential.net



On Feb 16, 2010, at 9:22 PM, Ken Petri wrote:


> The DRM that Adobe uses to encrypt ePub books served through their  

> Adobe Digital Editions (via Content Server) can be cracked using a  

> couple of easy to find Python scripts. Someone will find (probably  

> already has found) a way to crack the FairPlay DRM Apple uses in  

> iTunes (though it does sound more complex than Content Server).  

> Then, with a little bit of effort, any motivated person will be able  

> to permanently "open" a DRM'ed ePub book. Once he has the opened  

> ePub he can use it on any platform/device he chooses, and it is up  

> to him to decide if he wants to break the law and give it or sell it  

> to someone else.

>

> I appreciate O'Reilly's stance. They know that the more restrictive  

> you make the DRM on a book you sell, the more roadblocks to usage  

> the rightful owner will encounter in using the book--limits on how  

> many personal copies he can make of something he legally purchased,  

> limits on which of his own devices he can use to read/listen to them.

>

> O'Reilly seem to implicitly trust that people will tend to do the  

> ethical thing and buy a book, rather than steal it. And they seem to  

> believe that the tendency once you buy something is not to give it  

> away for free.

>

> Apple (and most major book publishers), on the other hand, want to  

> keep the user using iTunes for everything, and seem not to trust  

> that someone who pays for a book will respect copyright. I find that  

> attitude insulting and infantilizing--and if I were interested in  

> pirating books, the insult and infantilization would provide strong  

> motivation.

>

> ken

> --

>

>

> On Tue, Feb 16, 2010 at 12:28 PM, Shelley Haven <ShelleyHaven at techpotential.net 

> > wrote:

> The LA Times reports that Apple is offering their DRM  

> "FairPlay" (currently used on iTunes) to publishers for their ePub- 

> formatted ebooks on the upcoming iPad.  It limits how many times  

> digital songs can be copied to other devices; presumably it would  

> work the same, limiting how many instances of a downloaded ebook  

> could co-exist on a user's devices.  (Link below article.)

>

>

> Apple to wrap digital books in FairPlay copy protection [Clarified]

> February 15, 2010

> When Apple launches its iBook store to sell titles for its new iPad  

> device in March, many of its titles are expected to come with a set  

> of handsome digital locks designed to deter piracy.

>

> Veteran iTunes customers will recognize the locks as FairPlay, a  

> digital rights management software that once limited how many times  

> digital songs can be copied onto different computers. (Apple phased  

> out FairPlay for music a year ago, and now sells unfettered tunes.)

>

> Next month, Apple will be dusting off those digital cuffs for books,  

> according to sources in the publishing industry.

>

> No doubt some publishers, including O'Reilly Media -- which has  

> vociferously argued that digital locks are harmful to sales -- will  

> opt not to deploy FairPlay. (O'Reilly, which puts out technical  

> books, was not on the list of five publishers during Apple's  

> announcement of the iPad, but is discussing a deal with Apple.)

>

> But the majority of publishers are expected to embrace FairPlay,  

> along with other copy protection software such as Adobe's Content  

> Server 4, as a means to squelch incipient book piracy as the e-book  

> market begins to take off.

>

> -- Alex Pham

>

> Clarified 1:50 pm: An earlier version of this post said Apple phased  

> out FairPlay a year ago and now sells songs without DRM. Apple  

> continues to use FairPlay to protect other iTunes content. Thanks to  

> our readers for noticing this omission!

>

> http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/02/apple-ibooks-drm-fairplay.html

>

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