Apple Prepares DRM For The iPad

"A consumer was born free but is in chains everywhere." Thanks to Slaveware (or as commonly known -- proprietary) software companies. Sharing is a basic human trait. This is what makes us human, but Slaveware companies do not swallow this. 
 
While they take all the advantages of technological development, they try to deprive customers of the same advantages. Earlier books used to be printed on paper-- you would need the raw material to print a book – paper, ink, press and much more. Now all it takes is a one time investment in software and then you can replicate as many copies as you want.
 
Companies save huge costs through this technological evolution, yet they do not cut the cost of the end products. Instead, they try to use different means to stop the same technological advantage from reaching to the end customer. 
 
DRM, or Digital Restriction Management, is one such chain or evil. Of course there is no doubt about sustaining the ownership of a creator. The illegal usage or copying (which the Slaveware companies call piracy) of a work may be a crime. But, is it a crime if you have a look at Picasso's Guernica? Is it a crime to listen to Beethoven's Symphonies? Is it a crime if you give your Starbucks coffee to your friend, or sister or dad? No. But it is a crime if you give a song or an ebook or a piece of software to your loved one. This mentality has crept in deeply. Those Slaveware companies have succeeded in blurring the lines between crime and sharing of knowledge.
 
Slaveware companies go even further and use the word IP to confuse users. IP is a stupid bundle of Trademark, Copyright, Patent and much more. You can't put patents and Trademark in the same basket, especially in the case of software or products which are in the software format. In a lot of countries software patents are not valid, but with the usage of the word IP these companies try to bring software under that umbrella of protection.
 
The new wave of restrictions and confusion is about to begin. According to a report published in the LA Times, Apple has given indications that they are getting their locks and chains ready for their ebook readers. The demand might have come from the publishing industry which is quite unprepared for the future. They are still living in the 80s'. 
 
Macmillan recently forced Amazon to increase the cost of ebooks. Through this move Macmillan ensured increased profit. But there was no mention of how much money will go to the authors.
 
It could be infuriating considering that through ebook format publishers like Macmillan save a significant amount of costs -- there is no need to buy raw material like paper, or ink or binding or packaging; there are no transportation or shipping fees. Through ebooks they cut an entire set of costs, yet they don't want to pass this savings to customers by reducing the prices. 
 
Since most publishers don't count ebooks sales as significant, there is seldom any mention of ebook royalties in writers contracts. So, readers get ripped, writers get ripped. Where are the ethics on the basis of which these publishers push evil like DRM? It's all about 'show me the money'.
 
Apple devaluates everything it touches. They started this evil in the ebook segment when they launched their iPad. They signed costly deals with publishers to kill Amazon Kindle. They are adding salt to injury by putting chains around already costly ebooks. They are bringing back the evil called Fairplay. According to the LA Times report, Apple is planning to put chains of DRM around the ebooks available on its iPad.
 
Sharing is not a crime. Look at the Free Software movement, Linux, Android, Drupal, WordPress, Joomla, MySQL, Apache, Firefox. These are all Muktware products. They are thriving, they are successful; the companies behind these products are making profits. These Muktware products keep us human. There is no crime involved, there is no 'piracy'. There is a sense of community, a sense of respect for each other's creativity. But, there is a world outside this Utopia -- a world ruled by Slaveware companies.  Most of the time we live in this Dystopian world.
 
If and when you read something by Jean Jacques Rousseau on the iPad, don't forget, "Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains."
 
That person is you!