One step forward and two steps back can describe Penguin’s path toward digital media. Last month, eMusic launched a DRM free audiobook program. Penguin Audio was participating to the tune of 150 titles. This month, its withdrawn from the program due to “concerns about digital piracy.” Penguin doesn’t state that there has been piracy only concerns.
"At this moment we're not going to have our titles on eMusic or with anyone else who sells non-DRM until the landscape shakes out and we feel very comfortable and confident that our titles will not be pirated," said Dick Heffernan, publisher of Penguin Audio.
Random House publishing hasn’t found any pirated eMusic and has found the eMusic sales “really encouraging.”
According to the Times article, eMusic is selling more than 500 audiobooks per day which is double its forecasted sales.
The fact is that there will always be pirates and no amount of DRM is going to stop it. It might stall sales though.
Via NY Times.
