keriflur wrote:
bklvr896 wrote:
ellsbells930 wrote:
Barnes & Noble has said this is fine. It was in many posts when the first edition came out. It doesn't actually break the DRM. You still have to put in the credit card that was used to purchase the book in order to open it.
B&N doesn't have the authority to say this is fine, they don't own the copyright on the books. The fact that B&N social DRM allows you to do this doesn't necessarily make it ok. If you read the copyright on most books it says you are granted the non-exclusive, non transferable right to access and read the text.
And I don't recall BN ever saying it was ok, users figured out how to do and shared it, but none of those posts were official posts and I'm pretty sure it's not in the user guide anywhere.
By agreeing to sell using the DRM scheme, the publishers (the copyright holders) are effectively saying this is acceptable.
Not sure I agree, @keriflur.
It's kind of like saying that since a car is made to go faster than the posted speed limit, that manufacturers are saying speeding is acceptable. Or that since you can run over and kill someone with a car, that the manufacturer is saying that vehicular homicide is acceptable.
Many products can be used in unintended or specifically prohibited ways. It doesn't mean the manufacturer agree it's acceptable to do so. They'll put exclusions in contracts, terms of service, or safety warnings. Or, sadly, assume you have some common sense. Simply because you can & do otherwise, doesn't mean they find it acceptable.
On the other hand, an ethical argument can be made for the type of book sharing under discussion. I doubt, based on observation, that most publishers would find the argument compelling or the practice acceptable.
They probably just don't see the ROI in provoking customers over the point.
