An appreciation of DRM

Or copy protection of digital content in general. Primarily because digital formats are becoming more and more convenient as technology keeps improving. Tablets, whether an iPad or some cheap-ass Android based knock off, are becoming slimmer, more responsive and more efficient in utilizing battery life. Digital storage just keep getting denser. For the same weight as an average paper book, SD Cards and other forms of flash storage can hold far more books that what you can read in your life time! (Someone should do the calculations and compare it to the number of books ever published).

xkcd: micro SD

As a guy who's always on the run, I'm starting to deeply appreciate the digitization of books. I rent an average room, but it is now getting cluttered with paper books. It will also become a concern the next time I move to another house.
So why DRM? Digital files are too easy to pirate and I bet that's why most authors and publishers are reluctant to embrace digital formats. It may look selfish or over-protective, but if you're willing to pay for a paper book why not for a digital book? (I'll stop at this point since a discussion of free vs paid can go on forever.)

Enabling everyone to be producers

Perhaps the most revolutionary effect of digitization is the bypassing of traditional distributors or middle men. Writers and musicians no longer have to tie up with publishers or record companies to reach their readers or audiences. This means that if you have anything worth sharing or selling, you can just go ahead and do it! Many of the e-books and audiobooks I purchase from Amazon were not written by people who "trained" to be writers. In fact some of the books I enjoy are written by a former bouncer,  (also a very funny person). Thanks to websites that facilitate this more direct and open to all distribution process. But without DRM or copy protection, a large pool of creators would not have jumped into this revolution, most likely. And I wouldn't be reading many of the e-books or listening to the audiobooks that I truly enjoy and have learned from.