What started as a clause in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 to protect the infringement of copyrighted works, such as movies, books and music, has blossomed into a full-fledged debate on who owns, who can modify, and who can repair the products consumers purchase. These products can range from cell phones and cars to children’s toys and ebooks, making it almost a certainty that everyone has at least one DRM-protected product in their home. The companies who place the DRM on these products can control who uses, modifies, and distributes the copyrighted works and products.
digital
Pop Poetry and the World of Tomorrow—Social Media Poetry for a New Generation
By Monique Vieu
Short-format poetry has made a serious splash on the literary scene by use of social media. Platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Tumblr are giving writers immediate international visibility. These writers are self-published, with full control of their own media presence. And unlike any other generation, we’re seeing a more interactive aspect of poetry, as writers have the ability to directly connect with their audiences and receive instantaneous feedback.
An Audible Nostalgia for Storytelling
By Zoe LaHaie
Aside from their obvious convenience, audiobooks have established themselves as a hybrid between literary and media entertainment. Listeners are drawn in by hypnotic and dynamic narrations often delivered by well-known celebrities. Because of this focus on vocal value, publishing houses like Penguin Random House invested in their audio department to further advance audiobook quality. They even have the option to include material not present in the original print versions or let narrators go “off script.” Whether audiences know a story or not, listening to it gives them a fresh perspective.
How to Win Readers and Alienate Authors
By Courtney Bliss
It is no secret that some authors prefer their solitude when working, and an author’s work is never done. With the ever-expanding digital world, they now have more opportunities to connect with their readers without ever leaving their writing caves.
Refreshing Old Ebooks with Your Style
By Marina Garcia
So you’re excited to open up your new book, freshly downloaded to an ereader. It might be the Amazon Kindle, maybe the Barnes & Noble Nook, or even a tablet using a book app. The anticipation rises, the new download opens to the title display, then after turning a few pages it opens to the first chapter. Three words in you realize you don’t like the font. Or maybe not. It’s more likely the font style and size are the furthest thing from your mind. As you read, a few hundred other people are likely reading that same novel, but are experiencing it in entirely different ways. Aside from the personal taste and perspective every reader brings to a story, there’s also the technical components of reading devices that allow people to customize their experience, and manufacturers to reach a wider audience with ebooks.
Aiming for Accessibility
By Stephanie Argy
Ten percent of people in the developed world and fifteen percent in the developing world have some degree of impairment that can seriously affect their ability to read, such as blindness, low vision, dyslexia, or motor disabilities.