MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - The fight for a reflowable e-document standard

rlauzon · 09-03-2006, 06:59 PM

The problem with IDPF is that whatever solution they come up with will be a closed, proprietary solution - regardless of what they call it. Their "solution" will still have the same issues as any other closed, proprietary solution: if they go away, you are screwed. If their format fails, any books you have become worthless.

We already have open eBook file formats: RTF, HTML - to name a couple. We don't need IDPF.

Also, to use an analogy, anyone can create a DVD player. But if you want to play comercial DVDs, you need to get a CSS license. To get that license, you need to sign a contract that you will put deliberate defects into your DVD player that will prevent users from exercising their rights and enforce rights that the content holders do not legally have.

IDPF is simply the CSS for eBooks.

OpenReader's problem is DRM. "Open Source DRM" cannot exist. Right now, DRM, as someone put it, is like putting the content in a safe, putting the safe into the criminal's house and telling the criminal to not crack the safe. "Open Source DRM" is the same, except that the combination is written on the bottom of the safe.

Because most authors are not computer-savvy, they believe what their publishers and groups like IDPF tell them - mainly that they need to "protect" their content from "pirates" and use DRM (even though DRM doesn't do a darn thing to protect their content from pirates). So without DRM, OpenReader is doomed to fail - unless something changes.

IHMO, the whole "Tower of eBabel" is based on the fact that the Content Cartels want to own content forever. They have no incentive to create an open eBook standard - they want you to pay for your content again and again.

It's going to take successes like Scott Siegler and Cory who post their content for free - but who are also successful in the commercial market as well. Baen seems to be doing very well with DRM-free eBooks (the last 2 issues of Baen's Universe were available in RTF - and easily convertable to my iLiad).

It won't be IDPF that throws down the Tower of eBabel - they are doing nothing but shore it up. OpenReader may do something - but right now, it's yet another open format added to the list of many open formats and doesn't have any great benefit over any other open format.

It will be us, the readers, that will throw the Tower down, by not buying eBooks in closed, proprietary, DRM-laden formats.

09-03-2006, 06:59 PM	#2
rlauzon Wizard Posts: 1,018 Karma: 67827 Join Date: Jan 2005 Device: PocketBook Era	The problem with IDPF is that whatever solution they come up with will be a closed, proprietary solution - regardless of what they call it. Their "solution" will still have the same issues as any other closed, proprietary solution: if they go away, you are screwed. If their format fails, any books you have become worthless. We already have open eBook file formats: RTF, HTML - to name a couple. We don't need IDPF. Also, to use an analogy, anyone can create a DVD player. But if you want to play comercial DVDs, you need to get a CSS license. To get that license, you need to sign a contract that you will put deliberate defects into your DVD player that will prevent users from exercising their rights and enforce rights that the content holders do not legally have. IDPF is simply the CSS for eBooks. OpenReader's problem is DRM. "Open Source DRM" cannot exist. Right now, DRM, as someone put it, is like putting the content in a safe, putting the safe into the criminal's house and telling the criminal to not crack the safe. "Open Source DRM" is the same, except that the combination is written on the bottom of the safe. Because most authors are not computer-savvy, they believe what their publishers and groups like IDPF tell them - mainly that they need to "protect" their content from "pirates" and use DRM (even though DRM doesn't do a darn thing to protect their content from pirates). So without DRM, OpenReader is doomed to fail - unless something changes. IHMO, the whole "Tower of eBabel" is based on the fact that the Content Cartels want to own content forever. They have no incentive to create an open eBook standard - they want you to pay for your content again and again. It's going to take successes like Scott Siegler and Cory who post their content for free - but who are also successful in the commercial market as well. Baen seems to be doing very well with DRM-free eBooks (the last 2 issues of Baen's Universe were available in RTF - and easily convertable to my iLiad). It won't be IDPF that throws down the Tower of eBabel - they are doing nothing but shore it up. OpenReader may do something - but right now, it's yet another open format added to the list of many open formats and doesn't have any great benefit over any other open format. It will be us, the readers, that will throw the Tower down, by not buying eBooks in closed, proprietary, DRM-laden formats.