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New DRM-Free Label Announced

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the seal-of-approval dept.

jrepin writes "Awareness has been spreading among individuals, businesses and other organizations that DRM is a completely unnecessary restriction of freedom, and it drives people away. As that awareness spreads, going 'DRM-Free' becomes more and more valuable for patrons. To really build upon that image and to provide a resource for people to learn about why being DRM-Free matters, a logo was created for suppliers to proudly advertise that their files all come unencumbered by restrictive technologies. Some among early adopters are O'Reilly Media, ClearBits, Momentum Books, and ccMixter."

15 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. Ugly by rebelwarlock · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That logo is hideous. Who's going to be putting that on their packaging?

    1. Re:Ugly by cpu6502 · · Score: 2

      I don't see anything wrong with it. It's a circle with
      DRM
      FREE
      in the middle at a ~30 degree angle. It's clean and effective, and I'd certainly buy a product like that vs. the copyprotected/DRM version.

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    2. Re:Ugly by EZLeeAmused · · Score: 3, Funny

      Well, they had to do something to keep people from stealing those products.

      --
      Some see the vessel as half full; others see it as half-empty; We pour it out on the floor and laugh
    3. Re:Ugly by black3d · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Agreed, that's a pretty bad logo. Kudos to them for the idea. It needs to be promoted, but not with that. It'd too cluttered. Text is a bad thing. It should be optional, underneath, beside, etc, but not wrapped around as part of the logo. The idea of brand recognition is that the logo becomes instantly identifiable, which means it DOESN'T need to have a detailed explanation of what DRM-FREE means, in the long term. Put the text "with it" now somehow, but not as the actual logo. :\

      --
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  2. DRM-free Should be the DEFAULT by Mitreya · · Score: 4, Insightful

    People looking for ebooks in places like Amazon often have trouble figuring out which ebooks have DRM and which don't because Amazon does not advertise that information.

    How can they NOT make that information easily available?
    Why do people not return books more as soon as they run into an unadvertised DRM problem?

    1. Re:DRM-free Should be the DEFAULT by hawguy · · Score: 2

      People looking for ebooks in places like Amazon often have trouble figuring out which ebooks have DRM and which don't because Amazon does not advertise that information.

      How can they NOT make that information easily available?
          Why do people not return books more as soon as they run into an unadvertised DRM problem?

      Because when people who are not Slashdot readers buy a book at Amazon, and it works on their Kindle they are happy. Few ordinary users try to move eBooks between platforms, and if they do try and fail, they shrug their shoulders and stop trying.

      But maybe this label will help make more people aware of what they are giving up when they buy DRM infected content. The music studious seem to have learned their lesson since most (all?) music is available unencumbered.

    2. Re:DRM-free Should be the DEFAULT by RobbieThe1st · · Score: 2

      Calibre, which is FOSS and cross-platform btw.
      And you can get a drm-stripping plugin for it too.

    3. Re:DRM-free Should be the DEFAULT by corsec67 · · Score: 2

      Being able to strip the DRM is not the same as receiving a DRM free file from the vendor.

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      If I have nothing to hide, don't search me
  3. That's a decent list of first-adopters by TheSilentNumber · · Score: 2

    With that list of first-adopters, it wauld be great if the label could actually become a recognizeable and valuable marker. That would be a promising development as major ebook publishers start dropping DRM. With DRM all but gone for music and, if ebooks meet a similar fate, how long can video, streaming servies, and games last?

    1. Re:That's a decent list of first-adopters by Darinbob · · Score: 2

      They need this on games too. People demand DRM free on audio, and now on books, but for some reason they look the other way when games are locked down the same way.

    2. Re:That's a decent list of first-adopters by TheSilentNumber · · Score: 2

      I think that's the beauty of this logo. Defective by Design is an FSF campaign, so they can't endorse non-free games, but this logo specifically says it is not an endorsement, so games can use it too!

  4. Nicwe Logo, but... by flogger · · Score: 3, Interesting

    That's a nice clear logo, but there are may people who will still prefer THIS as their DRM free logo of choice.

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    -- The Doctor, "Doctor
  5. Re:That will last about five minutes by cpu6502 · · Score: 3, Informative

    You mean like they made it illegal to brand "GM free" foods? Yeah. Lovely country we have here... the government sure does protect us from those bad companies selling tainted food. We might actually be better-off without the 3-letter agencies.

    Here's another site I want to nominate for the DRM-free logo. They even hand-out free books for download:
    http://www.baenebooks.com/
    http://www.baenebooks.com/c-1-free-library.aspx

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  6. Re:That will last about five minutes by interkin3tic · · Score: 2

    I don't think this is similar enough to foods to where that comparison is apt. Corn is corn, if you're going to buy an ear of corn and notice it's GM, you can buy a different one that's not GM, and it will taste basically the same.

    Buying music, however, not many consumers buy based on label. Songs are exclusive. I can't choose to buy "Gimmie Shelter" by the rolling stones from a DRM-free label, I could only buy it from the label that has the rights to that song. So there's no branding advantage to DRM free there.

    "Organic" or "non GMO" are also labels people care about. I'm cynical that "DRM-free" has as much appeal. I could be wrong, I've done no surveys on that subject.

  7. Re:That will last about five minutes by mcgrew · · Score: 2

    We might actually be better-off without the 3-letter agencies.

    Like EPA, FDA? Nope, I can't agree. You like dirty air and lakes, and no labeling in food AT ALL? No mandated testing of new drugs?

    Some 3 letter agencies I agree with; ATF, TSA, NSA, sure. Get rid of them. Let me get my pitchfork...

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