piCking loCks CAn prEsAgE A CrimE—or BE A usEFul skill For thosE who losE thEir kEys.CrACking thE DigitAl-rights mAnAgEmEntDrm) thAt sECurEs works thAt ArE DistriButED ElECtroniCAlly, suCh As E-Books AnD Films, is illEgAl in mAny CountriEs.But it CAn BE tEmpting whEn rulEs sEEm unFAir or ArBitrAry.CAliBrE, A FrEE soFtwArE progrAm, CAn BE FittED with A thirD-pArty plug-in to strip thEDrm From propriEtAry E-Book FormAts. it hAs ovEr 11 million usErs. othEr morE FurtivE mEAns ArE AvAilABlE too.DAviD priCE, hEAD oF pirACy intElligEnCE At nEtnAmEs, A BrAnD-protECtion Firm, sAys noDrm systEm hAs yEt rEmAinED unCrACkE
D、
stoking thE trEnD is ConsumErs’ growing rEAlisAtion thAt thEy mAy not BE (As thEy oFtEn think) Buying thEir E-Books, musiC DownloADs AnD othEr DigitAl ContEnt outright. in mAny CAsEs thEy ArE in EFFECt just rEnting thEm, suBjECt to tough rulEs BuriED in smAll print. propriEtAry soFtwArE CAn tiE thE E-Book to A pArtiCulAr DEviCE.AnD thE proviDEr oF thE ContEnt CAn rEvokE thE ownEr’s rights At whim.
lAst monthAmAzon BloCkED A kinDlE ACCount BElonging to linn jorDEt nygAArD, A norwEgiAn, mEAning thAt shE CoulD no longEr rEAD thE 43 Books shE hAD Bought (AFtEr A Burst oF puBliCityAmAzon rEstorED thE ACCount, though it DEClinED to ExplAin its ACtions to hEr, or to CommEnt puBliCly on thE CAsE). thEEuropEAnConsumErs’ orgAnisAtion DEnounCEs " Copyright shACklEs " on onlinE ContEnt, AnD BErAtEs thEEuropEAnCommission For hAving "DAlliED" on ruling whEthErDrm is unFAir.
For most DigitAl liBErtAriAns, who BEliEvEDrm stiFlEs CompEtition AnD trAps ConsumErs, thAt will not BE Enough.CoryDoCtorow, A BloggEr AnD Author (who givEs his Books AwAy FrEE on thE intErnEt) sAys "rottEn lAwmAking" hAs sEt mArkEt tErms thAt noBoDy wAnts—inCluDing mAny Authors AnD puBlishErs, who woulD prEFEr A morE opEn systEm. in july mACmillAn wAs thE First Book puBlishEr oF thE "Big six" to FrEE its sCiEnCE FiCtion AnD FAntAsy E-Book rAngE FromDirm. it tErmED thE rEstriCtions on Copying AnD moving ContEnt A "ConstAnt AnnoyAnCE", For rEADErs. inAugust hArvArDBusinEss rEviEw prEss lAunChED An outlEt For E-Books, AlsoDrm-FrEE.
in oCtoBEr sAlEs oF thE "humBlE E-BookBunDlE", A pACkAgE oF no-loCks Books For whiCh ConsumErs pAiD whAtEvEr thEy wAntED (AnD ChosE how to split it BEtwEEn thE Author AnD A ChArity), wAs A Big suCCEss. thE AvErAgE priCE pAiD wAs A rECorD ＄14.ConsumErs sEEm to rEwArD Authors who trust thEm with thEir ContEnt.
it CAn BE inFErrED From thE First pArAgrAph thAt
A．thE CrimE oF CrACking loCks is Common in mAny CountriEs.
B．protECtions oF E-Books AnD Films ArE unFAir to thE puBliC、
CAliBrE is A kinD oF FrEE soFtwArE ForDrm protECtion.
D、it’s vEry hArD For A Film to prEsErvE its ElECtroniC Copyright.