It’s the first day of Tools of Change in New York! For the next two days, Vitrium Systems will be there and we’re looking forward to listening to all the speakers, but a few in particular:
- Tim O’Reilly (@timoreilly) of O’Reilly Media is one of the keynotes and his talk is titled “The Future of Digital Distribution and Ebook Marketing”. We’re especially excited to hear what he thinks the next generation of digital distribution infrastructure is going to look like. If you’re at TOC, make sure to catch his talk at 2:25pm Wednesday in the Broadway Ballroom.
- Sameer Shariff of iPublishCentral is another keynote speaker. His speech, “The Next Generation of Ebooks – Invent It or Witness It!” is not to be missed if you’re interested in finding out how ebook publishers are pushing the envelope and creating innovative ways to leverage technology to develop the next generation of ebooks. Don’t miss Sameer at 10:45am on Tuesday in the Wilder Room.
- Scott Sigler of Dark Overlord Media is speaking to both authors and publishers about the pros and cons of authors partnering with publishers versus publishing independently. “Who Needs You, Big Publishing? How Authors Can Own All Rights and Make More Money” is at 1:10pm on Wednesday in the Broadway Ballroom.
If you’re at TOC this week, check out these keynote speakers and tell us what you thought.
And don’t forget to stop by booth #19 for your chance to win an Apple iPad!
With only a few days left until O’Reilly’s Tools of Change conference in New York, we’re gearing up to make sure it’s a great experience. Peter Nieforth and Mark James, our CEO and Business Development and Product Management Director are going to be there. So make sure you drop by the Vitrium Systems booth and see what they’re giving away. Click here to find out!
One of the main topics that this year’s TOC conference is focusing on are new technologies that are changing the publishing industry and helping to create a more profitable future for it. That’s where Vitrium comes in. We want to showcase to large and small publishers how they can begin to track and monitor their electronic content if they aren’t already and if they are, how they can do it in an affordable and user-friendly way.
We’ll make sure to keep you posted about TOC and who we’re excited to hear speak!
I read the article posted on April 20th, 2009 – “Who benefits from DRM?” (http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/04/doctorows-law)
While I agree with the article in principle, I’m not convinced that DRM is all “bad.” I do, however, believe the underlying philosophy behind DRM and how DRM solutions are sold is seriously flawed.
The facts:
- Publishers and distributors of electronic content have the right to protect their IP and their profits.
- Readers of electronic content have the right to own what they purchase and enjoy a hassle-free experience.
The problem:
- The “all-or-nothing” approach to DRM.
- The lack of thought leadership in this space.
- The dishonesty and lack of disclosure.
The solution:
- Seek less intrusive alternatives. If you distribute electronic content, it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing i.e. hardcore DRM versus no DRM at all. You don’t need to tie yourself down to certain file format or even a certain rendering device. There are other solutions that provide a happy medium such as Vitrium’s protectedpdf (selfish plug – sorry).
- Be a leader. If you are a DRM solution provider you need to:
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- Clearly identify the benefits of your solution and be completely honest with your clients about the associated risks:
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- Can the security solution be circumvented?
- What can the reader expect when they receive protected files?
- What happens to the protected files if the protection service is discontinued? I wonder if Fiction wise knew what would happen before they pulled the plug on their DRM solution or if they set the proper expectations with their clients.
- Recommend alternatives. Distributing electronic content offers obvious benefits to both the reader and the publisher so there are areas were some sacrifice can be made and even expected.
For instance, by distributing content electronically the publisher and reader benefit from faster delivery and reduced fees. As a publisher, if you plan to use a DRM solution, why not enforce a shelf-life on protected files? Who said an e-Book or a Newsletter should live for ever?
From a reader’s perspective, maybe they are ok paying a little less for an electronic copy because of a truncated shelf-life, 2-3 years for example. Heck, the publisher might even allow them to print a copy for reference before the document expires.
This approach allows the publisher to maintain their margins, they don’t have to have a life-long subscription to a DRM service, and the readers are fully aware that the document will expire. This may not work in every situation, but neither does DRM (smile).
- Be prepared to say no. If the client and reader requirements are not a match, do not force them to buy your solution.
I know there is a little Sales 101 mixed into my suggestions, but sometimes we lose sight of the basics.
Anyways, great article. I hope you can appreciate a difference of opinion even if I have a vested interest in DRM succeeding.
One more selfish plug…you can see our solution in action at www.protectedpdf.com.
Posted by keith on May 01st, 2009
Tags: Deeplink, drm, eBook, ePublishing, fictionwise, Hugh D'Andrade, O'Reilly, PDF DRM, pdf protection, pdf security, Tools of Change
