: Re: Does DRM affect copyright or the restrictions on distribution by the author? I hear how it is easier for the user to select DRM (digital rights management) free options so that they can use

@Kevin153

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DRM does not affect the author's copyright in any way.

DRM is a mechanical means of enforcing copyright. It enforces copyright by making it difficult for consumers to create usable copies of a digital product. Making a copy of a digital file is easy. Technically this violates copyright, but there's no way for copyright owners to restrict this. So DRM ensures that the unauthorized copy is not unusable. Consumers who have not purchased the digital product cannot display it (for ebooks and videos) or listen to it (for sound recordings).

If you choose a non-DRM format for your digital products, you do not have this mechanism for enforcing your copyright. It is technically easy for consumers to make and distribute usable copies of your work. Distributing such copies would likely violate your copyright.

The point of DRM is to make it harder for consumers to use your digital product in unauthorized ways. This has the side effect of making it harder for people to use your stuff in authorized ways. Non-DRM ebooks are easier for your customers to use on their preferred devices in their preferred applications. And they are easier for people to copy and distribute.

Again, none of this affects the author's copyright in any way.

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