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Dear Free Software Supporter,

[Defective by Design][1] is calling on you to stand up against Digital
Restrictions Management (DRM) on the International Day Against DRM
(IDAD) on October 12th, 2019. This year we will be focusing
specifically on everyone's right to read, particularly by urging
publishers to free students and educators from the unnecessary and
cumbersome restrictions that make their access to necessary course
materials far more difficult.

[1]: [link removed]

New developments have reminded all of us that DRM is now more of a
threat than ever. Many people were impacted by Microsoft's Orwellian
["ebook apocalypse,"][2] in which thousands of books were forcibly
deleted from ebook readers and smartphones. Recently we have seen DRM
extend its sinister influence into education, especially in the form
of "digital-first" textbooks that put onerous restrictions on students
that forbid them from accessing the course materials they have bought,
and the education that they deserve. The "Netflix of textbooks" model
practiced by the major textbook publisher Pearson is a Trojan horse
for education: requiring a constant Internet connection for
"authentication" purposes, severely limiting the number of pages a
student can read at one time, and secretly collecting telemetric data
on their reading habits.

[2]: [link removed]

It is universally agreed that each person has a right to be educated
-- so why are major publishers like Pearson placing digital handcuffs
on students that make learning more difficult? This year, we will be
asking both corporations and everyday people alike to demonstrate
their commitment to education. For publishers like Pearson, that means
the immediate removal of DRM from any and all of their educational
materials. We will also be showing you how easy it is to make
contributions to ethical, freely licensed, and DRM-free textbooks by
sponsoring both Boston-area and remote hackathons.

For thirteen years, we have used IDAD to mobilize actions that stand
up for the freedom of users everywhere. This year, we'll be continuing
the fight by bringing in a round of in-person actions, guest bloggers,
organizing tips, and a few surprises that you won't want to
miss. Follow along with us at the [Defective by Design][1] Web site,
and read about our past actions, such as last year's [IDAD][3], and
our protest of the [W3C's decision to embed DRM][4] into the core
framework of the Internet.

[3]: [link removed]
[4]: [link removed]

This year, we've updated our [Guide to DRM-Free Living][5] with lists
of retailers to avoid and ones to support, in addition to giving
general tips on how to tell whether a book, video, or piece of music
is DRM-encumbered.

[5]: [link removed]

As we become ever more reliant on digital methods of accessing our
shared cultural history, the question of who controls that access and
how they control it becomes a crucial one. In standing up against DRM,
you are not only standing up for the rights of students and other readers now, but for
those in years to come. Our successes in past years could not have
happened without your help. Every voice raised in protest of DRM
weakens the hold it has on all of us. Together, we are confident that
we can end it once and for all.

## How to participate

* The easiest way to participate is to join us in going a Day Without
DRM, and resolve to spend an entire day (or longer!) without
Netflix, Hulu, and other restricted services to show your support of
the movement. Document your experiences on social media using the
tags "#idad" or "#dbd," and let us know at
<[email protected]> if you have a special story you'd like
us to share.

* Even more effective is to join up with others to make your voice
louder. We'll be providing activists around the world with support [here][6]
on how they can stage their own local in-person event, as well as
how to join us online while we help improve the free and ethical
alternatives to educational materials restricted by DRM.

* In Boston, we'll be leading the way with our own demonstration on
October 12th, 2019 at Pearson Education's corporate offices,
followed by an evening hackathon on collaborative, [freely
licensed][7] educational materials.

* Follow us on [GNU social][8] or on [Twitter][9] [(with caveats)][10]
to stay posted on all the events we have planned, in addition to
more news items on how you can resist DRM.

* If you're IRC-inclined, join us in the [#dbd][11] channel on the
Freenode network for real-time chat and collaboration on DRM-related
actions.

* **Are you an organization or project interested in supporting
IDAD?** We're looking for vendors of DRM-free media, organizations
that support the building of a DRM-free world, and those who believe
in the mission of DbD to participate by offering sales, writing blog
posts, organizing events, and sharing information with your members
about IDAD. Please contact us at <[email protected]> for more
information.

[6]: [link removed]
[7]: [link removed]
[8]: [link removed]
[9]: [link removed]
[10]: [link removed]
[11]: [link removed]

Solidarity,

Greg Farough
Campaigns Manager

--
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