

Why DRM-free comic books are a big deal, even if you don’t read comics - ghshephard
http://arstechnica.com/staff/2013/07/why-drm-free-comic-books-are-a-big-deal-even-if-you-dont-read-comics/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arstechnica%2Findex+%28Ars+Technica+-+All+content%29

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joanofarf
Tor Books, a subsidiary of Macmillan and the biggest publisher of Sci-Fi and
Fantasy fiction, went DRM-free on all of its ebooks last year. They've
observed "no discernible increase" in piracy since making the change.

[http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/no-discernible-
increase...](http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/no-discernible-increase-in-
piracy-with-tors-drm-free-policy_b69558)

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icebraining
Damn. DRM-free and an issue of a Warren Ellis comic on the frontpage; they
know my weaknesses.

The site seems a little underdeveloped, though. For example, SCATTERLANDS is a
series, but it's only in its first section. Why can't I buy the whole lot
right now and get an email when each section is released, with links to
download? Do they really want to rely on me remembering to check periodically
to see if the next issue's been released yet?

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hkmurakami
I'm not particularly bright on the subject but this made me recall a related
development in Japan.

 _Shuho Sata, the author of "Burakku Jyakku ni Yoroshiku" ("Say Hello to Black
Jack"), is getting set to fly without the copyright safety net. He's freeing
his 10-million selling manga from the limits of copyright as a form of "second
use."_

[http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120824/10510020147/award-...](http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120824/10510020147/award-
winning-manga-author-opens-up-his-work-to-be-used-anyone-anywhere-anything-
royalty-free.shtml)

~~~
ekianjo
It's been available to download for free for a while, indeed, and massively
advertised.

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venomsnake
Well DRM benefits only the entities that are for various reasons gatekeepers -
they have locked the users, platform or own enormous catalogs of IP. And some
creators begin to realize that having some part of the audience get away with
not paying for content is the lesser evil than jumping trough hoops to be able
to get to the users and struggle with institutional censorship.

If you have people reading your stuff without paying you have to figure out
how to monetize. If Apple/Amazon finds your work offensive/unsuitable you are
DOA.

~~~
akgoel
That's circular logic. They have figured out how to monetize - by utilizing
DRM.

~~~
TillE
Do they have _any_ evidence that DRM is important for this?

It baffles me that the music industry was very quick to discard DRM despite
being the loudest opponent of piracy for a while, and yet everyone else is
still locking down their content. And no, before someone mentions it,
streaming was absolutely not a factor in their decision at the time.

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mattl
2000 AD has been DRM-free for a while now --
[http://shop.2000adonline.com/categories/digital](http://shop.2000adonline.com/categories/digital)

