With tools like these, DRM won't stop pirates or anyone else

Like it or not, push-button removal of ebook DRM is getting closer to reality.

Calibre screenshot
A screenshot of the Calibre ebook management system. Plug-ins can be added to the system to remove various forms of DRM.

Last week, Brian O’Leary, founder of Magellan Media, spoke out against DRM: “Any good pirate can strip DRM in a matter of seconds to minutes.” Now, Wired magazine proves it with a brief how-to on stripping DRM from Kindle books, borrowed from Apprentice Alf.

Remember DVD Jon? He set the DVD free and created Double Twist to strip DRM from music with a single click. He’s still around, and his company does much more today. And that’s just one organization championing the open source format. My mom still won’t be stripping DRM from her ebooks, but it certainly looks like easy-to-use tools are on the horizon.

TOC: 2011, being held Feb. 14-16, 2011 in New York City, will explore “publishing without boundaries” through a variety of workshops, keynotes and panel sessions.

Save 15% off registration with the code TOC11RAD

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