> And it played out for music just fine, after a while. The RIAA fought tooth and nail. I don't think Elsivier et al can fight harder than they did. Perhaps they'll try dirtier.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that it played out "just fine". The RIAA and MPA have gained incredible powers that threaten us all in their fight to protect their profits and role as gatekeeper of what we're allowed to see/hear/publish.
Circumventing DRM is a crime. The DMCA is routinely abused to block criticism and competition. There is an extortion racket where individuals (innocent or otherwise) are threatened to pay media companies or face legal action they can't possibly afford (this scheme doesn't go well for them when they target someone who can afford to fight back: https://torrentfreak.com/appeals-court-affirms-retired-polic...). Companies are being forced to spend vast amounts of time, money, and other resources while working for free as copyright enforcement for the media industry. That same media industry now has the ability to force ISPs to instantly block access to whatever website they object to without any oversight in some countries, and they're pushing for that here in the US. Judges in US have already ruled that ISPs have to permanently disconnect the internet service of any customer if they receive an unspecified number of unproved accusations of infringement by the RIAA and they can face literal billions in fines if they fail to do so. The RIAA has been fighting against your freedoms for decades and they have been winning.
The book publishers don't have to fight harder than the RIAA, the RIAA has already done much of their work for them. They just have to continue to nudge things in the direction they are already going.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that it played out "just fine". The RIAA and MPA have gained incredible powers that threaten us all in their fight to protect their profits and role as gatekeeper of what we're allowed to see/hear/publish.
Circumventing DRM is a crime. The DMCA is routinely abused to block criticism and competition. There is an extortion racket where individuals (innocent or otherwise) are threatened to pay media companies or face legal action they can't possibly afford (this scheme doesn't go well for them when they target someone who can afford to fight back: https://torrentfreak.com/appeals-court-affirms-retired-polic...). Companies are being forced to spend vast amounts of time, money, and other resources while working for free as copyright enforcement for the media industry. That same media industry now has the ability to force ISPs to instantly block access to whatever website they object to without any oversight in some countries, and they're pushing for that here in the US. Judges in US have already ruled that ISPs have to permanently disconnect the internet service of any customer if they receive an unspecified number of unproved accusations of infringement by the RIAA and they can face literal billions in fines if they fail to do so. The RIAA has been fighting against your freedoms for decades and they have been winning.
The book publishers don't have to fight harder than the RIAA, the RIAA has already done much of their work for them. They just have to continue to nudge things in the direction they are already going.