Addressing the demands of an ever changing world, Liturgical Press has started publishing and selling ebooks directly from our website. Liturgical Press appreciates the concern authors may have regarding illegal copying or piracy of their works, but the decision to offer ebooks without the encumbrances of DRM was not made lightly, and in the long run is the more ethical approach. Here is some of the reasoning for not including DRM:
- Most individuals are honest and are willing to pay for content that they feel has value and adding DRM reduces the intrinsic value of the product because it limits its usefulness to the end user.
- Adding DRM restricts the reader from using the file they rightfully paid for, by not being able to create a personal back up, move it from device to device, or print personal copies for reference or easier reading and note-taking.
- Including DRM does not make the file immune from being shared illegally, instead it treats readers as if they are criminals and will illegally distribute the file. Dishonest people who are intent on sharing the file will do so regardless of if DRM is included or not, so why penalize the honest customers?
- Products without DRM will never be rendered unusable because a proprietary DRM scheme that is no longer used, the company that created it is no longer around, or the device that reads it is no longer available. There is no universally compatible DRM standard across publishers, booksellers, or devices.
- Without DRM an ebook can be shared and act as an advertisement for the superior print product—allowing it to receive more exposure than it may have had otherwise.
As use of the Internet continues to grow, and multiple forms of media continue to vie for the consumer's time, we agree with Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media that, "Obscurity is a far greater threat to authors and creative artists than piracy."
