Microsoft’s e-book apocalypse shows the dark side of DRM

Two months after announcing its planned closure of the Microsoft Store books section, the company is removing all purchased e-books from the libraries of those who bought them, according to Wired.

While the company says it’ll issue refunds in full, the practice has some retail and law experts questioning the ethics of current digital rights management. DRM gives the platforms rights to the digital goods they sell.

“Once we complete a transaction you can’t just reach into my pocket and take it back, even if you do give me money,” one source told Wired.

Microsoft’s digital bookstore never took off after its launch in 2017, in part, because it was relegated to the Edge browser, according to Wired.

Read more from Wired.