DRM Be Damned

Microsoft is giving away MS Reader versions of some best-selling fiction titles. This is great for Windows users, although, until they make MS Reader truly cross-platform, Microsoft will continue losing the eBook space to Adobe. Cross-platform isn't the biggest strike against Microsoft; they continue to do things dead wrong when it comes to DRM.

For each book that gets downloaded, MS Reader launches the book and immediately tells you text-to-speech capability won't work with, as they put it, "Owner-Exclusive" eBooks. Why not? If I want to hear some crappy robotic voice read a book that is tied to my activated copy of MS Reader, why shouldn't I? It's not like I'm going to record the voice and upload the reading to the Web. Who the heck would pirate text-to-speech files? I understand having the eBook tied to my specific activation of Reader; after all, there is always some price to free. If Microsoft wants to prevent me from using text-to-speech with free eBooks, let them.

Of course, if I want my computer to read me a bedtime story, I better be able to with any "Owner-Exclusive" eBook I purchase. Otherwise, I'll vote with my wallet and find another source of eBooks that don't circumvent text-to-speech.

Posted by Jake

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DRM Be Damned

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