A note to Audible about DRM
A while ago, I signed up for a subscription with Audible, the internet's leading retailer of audio fiction. Due to DRM issues and my inability to actually listen to their books except under very limited circumstances, I canceled my subscription shortly thereafter. Since then, they have periodically sent me emails with special offers in them to tempt me back. Here is my response to the most recent:
Good day,
I keep receiving special offers from Audible which appear to be designed to
regain me as a customer. I signed up several months ago in response to an
advert in some podcasts I listen to[1] and was very pleased with the audio
quality and production values of the books I purchased.
However, the DRM restrictions placed on the books required me to change
operating systems and listen to the books on my computer rather than my mobile
mp3 player. Since I primarily listen to audiobooks in the car and at gym, this
is a deal-breaker for me and the reason I canceled my subscription.
The fact that DRM doesn't really work is common knowledge. A brief Google
search yields a number of ways to strip Audible DRM protections from
audiobooks, but all of them require more time and effort than I am willing to
expend. This means that the DRM isn't stopping the pirates (since they are
prepared to put in the effort) but it is stopping legitimate customers, such as
myself.
I believe an Amazon spokesperson has said that if enough people complain,
Audible will consider removing the DRM on their audiobooks.[2] I would very
much like this to be the case. In their current form, Audible books just aren't
very useful to me.
I intend to post the contents of this email on my blog[3], and would like to
post any response I receive as well, although I will obviously respect your
wishes should you ask me not to.
Thank you,
Jeremy Thurgood
[1] Escape Pod (http://escapepod.org), Pesudopod (http://pseudopod.org)
and Podcastle (http://podcastle.org)
[2] Via Cory Doctorow on BoingBoing:
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/01/31/amazon-buys-audible.html
[3] http://jerith.livejournal.com/
I don't really expect a useful response, but hopefully something will be done. As mentioned in the letter, I shall post any response I receive unless they ask me not to.
Update: I have received a reply from Audible
Good day,
I keep receiving special offers from Audible which appear to be designed to
regain me as a customer. I signed up several months ago in response to an
advert in some podcasts I listen to[1] and was very pleased with the audio
quality and production values of the books I purchased.
However, the DRM restrictions placed on the books required me to change
operating systems and listen to the books on my computer rather than my mobile
mp3 player. Since I primarily listen to audiobooks in the car and at gym, this
is a deal-breaker for me and the reason I canceled my subscription.
The fact that DRM doesn't really work is common knowledge. A brief Google
search yields a number of ways to strip Audible DRM protections from
audiobooks, but all of them require more time and effort than I am willing to
expend. This means that the DRM isn't stopping the pirates (since they are
prepared to put in the effort) but it is stopping legitimate customers, such as
myself.
I believe an Amazon spokesperson has said that if enough people complain,
Audible will consider removing the DRM on their audiobooks.[2] I would very
much like this to be the case. In their current form, Audible books just aren't
very useful to me.
I intend to post the contents of this email on my blog[3], and would like to
post any response I receive as well, although I will obviously respect your
wishes should you ask me not to.
Thank you,
Jeremy Thurgood
[1] Escape Pod (http://escapepod.org), Pesudopod (http://pseudopod.org)
and Podcastle (http://podcastle.org)
[2] Via Cory Doctorow on BoingBoing:
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/01/31/amazon-buys-audible.html
[3] http://jerith.livejournal.com/
I don't really expect a useful response, but hopefully something will be done. As mentioned in the letter, I shall post any response I receive unless they ask me not to.
Update: I have received a reply from Audible