This Friday is International Day Against DRM
International Day Against DRM is this Friday, May 3rd. People all over the world are going to be showing their opposition to DRM, and you can join them!
Organize a local event today and we'll help you promote it. An event can be as simple as tabling at your campus, handing out information at a library or bookstore that offers ebooks with DRM. Find out if there's a local event near you. If there isn't, get one started!
Defective by Design and allies condemn proposal for building Digital Restrictions Management into the Web

Today Defective by Design, through the Free Software Foundation, joined twenty-six other organizations in releasing a joint letter to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the Web's standards-setting body, condemning Encrypted Media Extensions (EME).
Tell W3C: We don't want the Hollyweb
Hollywood is at it again. Its latest ploy to take over the Web? Use its influence at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to weave Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) into HTML5 — in other words, into the very fabric of the Web. Millions of Internet users came together to defeat SOPA/PIPA, but now Big Media moguls are going through non-governmental channels to try to sneak digital restrictions into every interaction we have online.
New and improved label for DRM-free files
Soon after announcing the big expansion and complete overhaul of our Guide to DRM-free Living, we also announced the DRM-free label, an effort to create recognizable branding for providers of DRM-free files to quickly communicate to users that they don't have to worry about being encumbered by restrictive technologies such as Digital Restrictions Management.
Mar. 4th in Strand: Vote for DRM-free books!
The Book Industry Communication is holding a debate on Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) in Strand on March 4th. Can you attend and vote DRM-free?
The "debate", which will include a panel of experts, asks participants to vote for one of two statements about DRM. They are:
Popular self-publishing and book printing company, Lulu, drops DRM
Online self-publishing platforms have lowered barriers for authors to get their works published, giving rise to a new kind of literature that works without big publishers. Lulu is one of the most popular solutions for writers to easily sell their works in print or as ebooks. A few years ago, they defended their DRM-encumbered ebooks, but they have just announced that they are saying goodbye to DRM.
Keep Defective by Design fighting for its eighth year; support us by supporting the Free Software Foundation
The fight against DRM often pits us against some of the biggest companies and the most dominant ways of thinking in the technology business. What gives us the independence to speak out -- and the power to make your voice heard --is the support of our members. Now, we need your help to keep Defective by Design strong in 2013.
Give DRM-free this holiday: here's how
by Libby Reinish and Kÿra
Holiday season is upon us, which means a bombardment of advertising for the latest and greatest tech toys, and the onslaught of enticing deals is extremely effective. On Cyber Monday, hordes of virtual shoppers took to the Web in search of the newest gadgets to bestow upon their loved ones.
Tell Amazon: Books and Libraries Shouldn't Have a Kill Switch
Imagine if you came home and discovered all of your bookshelves ransacked, their contents nowhere to be found. That's what happened to Amazon customer Linn, but the bookshelves were digital. Three years ago, Amazon showed the world that they have the power to delete copies of books from readers' Kindles en masse, and now they are finally taking heat for exerting this power over readers' entire libraries.
New DRM-Free Label
We've announced a new version of the DRM-free logo!
DRM-free ebooks and music in pay-what-you-want bundles!
The success of DRM-free bundles has been a powerful counterargument to the claim that Digital Restrictions Management is necessary for sustainable digital publishing. These bundles are forming around music and literature, and really showcase being DRM-free as a major selling point. Now, the Big Bang Bundle by StoryBundle has just launched, and the Humble Music Bundle has just a couple hours to go!
Guide to DRM-free Living gets a big update!
We've just finished a major update of the Guide to DRM-free Living with dozens of new places to get ebooks, movies, and music without DRM and a page of worst-offenders. There have been some exciting developments in the realm of DRM opposition on ebooks, like Tor/Forge dropping DRM on ebooks, and we wanted to spruce up the guide to reflect all the progress that's been made.
Diablo 3 DRM: "It's really an online game without a monthly fee"
Blizzard has released the long-awaited game Diablo 3 to much fanfare, and yet to many gamers, much disappointment and frustration because of the game's DRM system. It requires a permanent internet connection to play -- moving much of the in-game interaction and logic to the network. Blizzard is using Diablo 3 to operate an online auction house, using real-world currency or in-game gold, which in turn can be exchanged between players to purchase weapons, materials and upgrades for your in-game character.
Publishers and activists come together to say NO to DRM on ebooks
Friday, May 4th was the fourth International Day Against DRM, and wow — what a day!
We were supported by our friends at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Creative Commons, the Accessible Computing Foundation, Fight for the Future, APRIL, and our sister organizations, FSF France, FSF India and FSF Europe.
Tor/Forge to drop DRM from ebooks; cite pressure from readers
May 4th is the International Day Against DRM
On May 4th, members of the Defective by Design DRM Elimination Crew all over the world will join together at local events to protest Digital Restrictions Management.
Events in Boston, Madrid, London and Toronto are already coming together, and more are on the way. See http://dayagainstdrm.org/ for the latest events.
Let us know where you are located, so we can contact you about events in your area!
Anobii CEO urges publishers to drop DRM on ebooks
Speaking at the Digital Book World Conference in New York last week, Matteo Berlucchi, CEO of Anobii, urged major book publishers to abandon their use of DRM on ebooks. HarperCollins, Penguin, and Random House each have a stake in the ebook retail and social networking company based in the UK.
Louis CK: Live at the Beacon Theater
Boston's Louis CK has a new show on his website, but he's doing things a little differently with this one. To quote his site: "No DRM, no regional restrictions, no crap. You can download this file, play it as much as you like, burn it to a DVD, whatever."
This is an adult show with adult themes. Not for children. 18+
https://buy.louisck.net/purchase -- $5 for the show. 1.2Gb download with accompanying Ogg Theora stream available.
Cyber Monday Shopping Guide
Thinking of doing some holiday shopping? We hope that when purchasing for loved ones and friends that you'll consider avoiding companies and products designed to restrict freedom and consider supporting companies and organizations that defend freedom.
To help you make informed shopping decision and to avoid products that are defective by design, we've put together a short 2011 Holiday Buying Guide. We will be updating the guide throughout the holiday season, so please keep coming back for new tips and suggestions.
Cory Doctorow on the BBC's DRM plot for HDTV in the United Kingdom
Amazon Kindle extinguishes the fire of learning
Amazon came out with their newest line of Kindle ebook readers today, including the appropriately named "Kindle Fire".
To quote their TV commercial: "The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbours, kindle it at home, communicate it to others, and it becomes the property of all."
This device does not kindle that fire -- it extinguishes it, with more of the same digital restrictions.
Let's look at the facts:
xkcd on Sharing...
If you haven't seen Sharing by xkcd, it's worth a look.
In the strip, some friends discover a tree with a USB port sticking out of it. Upon connecting a computer to it, they discover an ebook -- Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, as a DRM'd Amazon Kindle file.
The book cannot be opened and sharing is not allowed.
Keep the pressure on Barnes and Noble
A few weeks ago, we asked you to reach out to Barnes & Noble about their Nook eBook reader. Many of you did, and while Barnes & Noble have yet to formally respond, we can continue to put pressure on them.
The current news is that Amazon plans to launch a color Android device, much like the Nook color. If we continue to put pressure on B&N, we can use this increased pressure from Amazon as a reason to make the Nook a device for everyone, not just large book publishers.
Read more, including a selection of your quotes to Barnes and Noble
Let Barnes and Noble know the Nook is defective by design
American book retailer Barnes & Noble have launched the third model of their Nook ebook reader. We've previously written about the Nook, but until recently the Nook did not get much attention due to the limited options available.
Things have changed and now the Nook represents a real threat to users because of its invasive DRM, close relationship with DRM champions Adobe, and because of its use of the Android operating system -- which might lead many to think the Nook is not defective by design.
Spotify is Defective by Design
The music streaming service Spotify uses Digital Restrictions Management (DRM); push back by saying NO to Spotify's invitations.
After being available in Europe for some time, Spotify has launched in the United States with a publicity campaign inviting people to use the service.
Our conclusion: Spotify is using DRM to prevent things legally permitted even by overly strict US copyright law, making Spotify defective by design.
Help warn people about YouTube Rentals
If you've logged into YouTube recently, you've probably noticed that they're pushing their Rental service pretty hard. YouTube Rentals brings full-length independent movies to YouTube, at a price -- they use Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) to severely limit how the videos can be used. Many devices, including certain Android phones, are unable to access them at all.
This about-face goes against exactly what made YouTube useful in the first place -- the unencumbered sharing of video.
Holding Nintendo Accountable
Over a period of 10 days, 138 people from twenty different countries made donations of $10 or more in order to send Nintendo's President and COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, a total of 220 bricks.
Highlights from the 2011 Day Against DRM
This year's Day Against DRM on May 4th was an overall success. Thanks to all of you who participated! Some of the highlights include:
14 blog posts in 4 languages — it was especially nice to see our friends over at Creative Commons joining us in the celebration.
Interview with Marcos Marado on the Day Against DRM
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