Does the Kobo store modify ePubs from the publisher?

actiss · 07-26-2011, 08:01 PM

Does the Kobo store modify ePubs from the publisher?

This may sound like a bizzare question, but a discussion from the Tor forums regarding the Wheel of Time ePubs made me curious regarding Kobo.

This is the passage in question from the publisher:

"My advice, if you really want a nice e-edition? Don't go with the Amazon version (I know, I know: if you own a Kindle, you're kinda locked into the Amazon store. But that's a bigger conversation about open formats and device agnosticism). Of all the other retailers who have The Eye of the World available (B&N, Sony, etc.), Sony is the best-looking; they take our file as-is, and don't alter or convert it at all."

Link here: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2009/11/whe...shing-schedule

Granted this statement was from a couple of years ago, but it made me wonder if Kobo does any sort of modification to the files once they receive it from the publisher.

ATimson · 07-26-2011, 11:34 PM

In my testing, B&N and Sony muck with the ePub, and Kobo doesn't appear to (or if they do, it's in a way the other houses do as well).

taming · 07-27-2011, 08:49 AM

I may be wrong, but all of this assumes that the book in question is handed off to Sony or Kobo or any other ePUB vendor as a standards compliant book. If it is, then the DRM layer, whether kepub or Adobe, knows what to do with it and you should get a predictably consistent look from wherever you are purchasing it. There will be some variation based on what fonts are available and other things. I am clueless about Amazon.

Early on, Kobo's kepub format was not, IMO, very good. The stylesheet has improved, and now, with the Touch, you have the option of turning off Kobo styling, which, theoretically should get you closer to what the publisher intended. For example, kepubs seem, by default, not to have indented first lines in paragraphs. Now, with styling off, in some books the paragraphs are indented, in others they are not.

ATimson · 07-27-2011, 09:05 AM

Early on the "kepub" format probably didn't seem very good because it wasn't ePub; it wasn't until a recent-ish software version (okay, at this point it's probably about a year ago) that they started downloading the ePub versions in their iPhone application, instead of their proprietary format.

taming · 07-27-2011, 01:11 PM

I'm pretty sure it was always an ePUB, but with a CSS of Kobo's own invention (k+epub=kepub) that just wasn't very good and firmware that was less evolved than it is now.

JD Gumby · 07-27-2011, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATimson

In my testing, B&N and Sony muck with the ePub, and Kobo doesn't appear to (or if they do, it's in a way the other houses do as well).

They almost certainly have to be modifying the epubs they get, otherwise you would be able to highlight, update bookmarks (via menu option rather than just by heading to the home screen), justify, and adjust margins on sideloaded epubs. Dictionary lookup of words in sideloaded epubs would have been there from the beginning as well instead of having to specifically be added.

MDK · 07-27-2011, 02:36 PM

Kobo styling can be turned on/off by the user via the fonts menu. Kobo does not alter the formatting of the content. Additionally the original ePub is always available on the Kobo website (if it was provided by the publisher) should you wish to download it directly.

Nigol · 07-27-2011, 07:11 PM

I have compared a book in both the epub and kepub format and there is some formatting discrepancy. For example the book robopocalypse in epub format has the part 1 text formatted to the rigth, when the kepub has it formatted to the left. Also the kepub has spacing between the paragraph and no indent while the epub has no spacing and indent.

Kobo styling on or off does not change anything.

Not sure what is the correct styling, but overall i pretty much prefer the normal epub.

07-26-2011, 08:01 PM	#1
actiss Member Posts: 15 Karma: 24 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Kobo Touch	Does the Kobo store modify ePubs from the publisher? Does the Kobo store modify ePubs from the publisher? This may sound like a bizzare question, but a discussion from the Tor forums regarding the Wheel of Time ePubs made me curious regarding Kobo. This is the passage in question from the publisher: "My advice, if you really want a nice e-edition? Don't go with the Amazon version (I know, I know: if you own a Kindle, you're kinda locked into the Amazon store. But that's a bigger conversation about open formats and device agnosticism). Of all the other retailers who have The Eye of the World available (B&N, Sony, etc.), Sony is the best-looking; they take our file as-is, and don't alter or convert it at all." Link here: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2009/11/whe...shing-schedule Granted this statement was from a couple of years ago, but it made me wonder if Kobo does any sort of modification to the files once they receive it from the publisher.

07-27-2011, 08:49 AM	#3
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	I may be wrong, but all of this assumes that the book in question is handed off to Sony or Kobo or any other ePUB vendor as a standards compliant book. If it is, then the DRM layer, whether kepub or Adobe, knows what to do with it and you should get a predictably consistent look from wherever you are purchasing it. There will be some variation based on what fonts are available and other things. I am clueless about Amazon. Early on, Kobo's kepub format was not, IMO, very good. The stylesheet has improved, and now, with the Touch, you have the option of turning off Kobo styling, which, theoretically should get you closer to what the publisher intended. For example, kepubs seem, by default, not to have indented first lines in paragraphs. Now, with styling off, in some books the paragraphs are indented, in others they are not. Last edited by taming; 07-27-2011 at 08:53 AM. Reason: clarity

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07-26-2011, 11:34 PM	#2
ATimson Evangelist Posts: 456 Karma: 1044878 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 4	In my testing, B&N and Sony muck with the ePub, and Kobo doesn't appear to (or if they do, it's in a way the other houses do as well).

07-27-2011, 09:05 AM	#4
ATimson Evangelist Posts: 456 Karma: 1044878 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 4	Early on the "kepub" format probably didn't seem very good because it wasn't ePub; it wasn't until a recent-ish software version (okay, at this point it's probably about a year ago) that they started downloading the ePub versions in their iPhone application, instead of their proprietary format.

07-27-2011, 01:11 PM	#5
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	I'm pretty sure it was always an ePUB, but with a CSS of Kobo's own invention (k+epub=kepub) that just wasn't very good and firmware that was less evolved than it is now.

07-27-2011, 02:36 PM	#7
MDK Kobo Developer Posts: 76 Karma: 164028 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kobo Aura, Glo, Mini	Kobo styling can be turned on/off by the user via the fonts menu. Kobo does not alter the formatting of the content. Additionally the original ePub is always available on the Kobo website (if it was provided by the publisher) should you wish to download it directly.

07-27-2011, 07:11 PM	#8
Nigol Groupie Posts: 184 Karma: 363616 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Montreal, Canada Device: Kobo Original, Kobo Touch	I have compared a book in both the epub and kepub format and there is some formatting discrepancy. For example the book robopocalypse in epub format has the part 1 text formatted to the rigth, when the kepub has it formatted to the left. Also the kepub has spacing between the paragraph and no indent while the epub has no spacing and indent. Kobo styling on or off does not change anything. Not sure what is the correct styling, but overall i pretty much prefer the normal epub.

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