Tor and Forge sci-fi e-books ditch DRM

Most of us can probably agree that no matter what you are buying, DRM is little more than an annoyance.

Yes, some publishers want us to believe they use DRM to prevent piracy, but typically DRM ends up preventing a buyer from doing what he or she wants with a legitimately owned product.

When it comes to finding good science fiction or fantasy novels, most of the stuff I like tends to be published under the Tor label.

Fortunately, the subsidiary of publishing giant Macmillan recently made an announcement that will undoubtedly make genre e-book owners ecstatic.

Yes, all Tor and Forge e-books will arrive withoutwithout DRM as of early July 2012.

“Our authors and readers have been asking for this for a long time,” said president and publisher Tom Doherty. “They’re a technically sophisticated bunch, and DRM is a constant annoyance to them. It prevents them from using legitimately-purchased e-books in perfectly legal ways, like moving them from one kind of e-reader to another.”

The e-books without DRM will be offered through the current range of retailers. The company will also begin seeking out additional e-book sellers that only offer DRM-free titles. Will the lack of DRM encourage you to purchase more science fiction or fantasy titles from Tor and Forge?