Kindle swindle: why DRM is Defective

Amazon's kindle ebook reader now supports lending. Whoopee.

"Each book can be lent once for a loan period of 14-days and the lender cannot read the book during the loan period."

DRM on the kindle really is a triumph of narrow commercial interest over the common good, restrictive technology over common sense.

As Richard Stallman eloquently argues in Free Software, Free Society, copyright law should serve the public interest. It was originally constructed so that authors wouldn't be discouraged by unscrupulous publishers profiting from their labours.

Now, in an age where the ease of digital copying should herald an avalanche in the dissemination of knowledge, instead archaic business practices prohibit this promulgation. Digital Restrictions Management truly is self-serving.

The Free Software and Creative Commons movements offer alternative models. Free Software is not Communist Software: the selling of Free Software is actually encouraged. Indeed, I have willingly parted with cash in exchange for Joomla! and WordPress extensions.