Adobe Adept DRM & updating ebooks

eFTy · 02-25-2015, 06:49 AM

I hope this was the right forum to post in. If not, I apologize and would appreciate a shove in the right direction (i.e. link).

I've been working on ebooks for a while now, and since we're finally about to start publishing them (woo!) have started hitting my head on various... problems.

A major one being that the company supplying the DRM (Boo! Hiss!, I know, but it's required by contract... -_- ) tells me that when I update an ebook, it cannot keep the old bookID. This means that we essentially have to give our customers vouchers for the new versions of the ebook, since we can't trawl through customers' accounts and replace their owned bookIDs.

Now, my question to you good folks - from your experience, is that how Adobe's Adept works, or are these guys just incompetent/unwilling to do the job properly?

eschwartz · 02-25-2015, 03:41 PM

No idea, I just know for example when you sell through Amazon the Product ID always points to the same book. When it gets updated, you have a link on Manage Your Kindle saying there is an update available, and when you click it, references to downloading the book will I guess yield whatever version their internal records say you have.

They probably do have to keep track of different versions, if only because they give you the option of automatic or manual updates, so some people may retain the older version.

I imagine this is the type of thing best managed by the seller's website under Customer Accounts (i.e. always yield a .acsm for the latest version, and notify the user via email or otherwise if they should redownload the book). I believe the .acsm is of time-limited value anyway, so the whole process should be transparent to the user.

The only way it could be easier is if you could automatically push the book to their devices, but you'd need your own client instead of ADE for that, and then you might find some users unhappy and complaining about Orwellian behavior.

JSWolf · 02-26-2015, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

No idea, I just know for example when you sell through Amazon the Product ID always points to the same book. When it gets updated, you have a link on Manage Your Kindle saying there is an update available, and when you click it, references to downloading the book will I guess yield whatever version their internal records say you have.

I've seen a number f eBooks at Amazon be updated/changed and there was not a single message saying it was updated. Most of the time, eBooks are updated behind the scenes and the only way to get the new version is to download it without being told there is an update.

There really needs to be something in place so we can be notified when eBooks we bought are updated/changed.

eschwartz · 02-26-2015, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've seen a number f eBooks at Amazon be updated/changed and there was not a single message saying it was updated. Most of the time, eBooks are updated behind the scenes and the only way to get the new version is to download it without being told there is an update.

There really needs to be something in place so we can be notified when eBooks we bought are updated/changed.

No, you will see a notification on the book record. You do have to scan the list before you find that out.

By default you do NOT get automatic updates.

JSWolf · 02-26-2015, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

No, you will see a notification on the book record. You do have to scan the list before you find that out.

By default you do NOT get automatic updates.

I did scan the list last week to see the books I had yet to download. Also, I have automatic book update set to on. And I still was not notified of new eBooks. The system is broken.

AnemicOak · 02-26-2015, 09:33 PM

The Amazon update thing depends on the author/publisher and what they select when doing the update as I recall.

JSWolf · 02-26-2015, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

The Amazon update thing depends on the author/publisher and what they select when doing the update as I recall.

So most don't select the correct options. Oh well.

eFTy · 03-02-2015, 07:59 AM

Yeah, Amazon's not really a problem as I know their system works.

What I was asking about was Adobe and their ADEPT system... Has anyone any experience with that?

eschwartz · 03-02-2015, 10:37 AM

Yes and I believe the difference is that Adobe only provides a DRM fulfillment service, not a complete product management and sales platform. Managing updates is beyond their purview.

JSWolf · 03-02-2015, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Yes and I believe the difference is that Adobe only provides a DRM fulfillment service, not a complete product management and sales platform. Managing updates is beyond their purview.

I believe notifying the customer of updates is a job of he eBookstores. Nobody does a good job of this. Even Amazon botches it. I've updated a number of Amazon eBooks and I've rarely gotten notified of updates.

So the best way to know is to download and compare with what you already have. If the file size is different, it's been changed. If the version number in the copyright page (some eBooks do have a version number in the copyright page) is a higher version, it's been changed. So if you have eBooks you've bought that are at least a year old that you have not yet read, download any you plan to soon read so you have the latest version. This goes for both ePub and Amazon eBooks.

AnemicOak · 03-02-2015, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So the best way to know is to download and compare with what you already have. If the file size is different, it's been changed. If the version number in the copyright page (some eBooks do have a version number in the copyright page) is a higher version, it's been changed. So if you have eBooks you've bought that are at least a year old that you have not yet read, download any you plan to soon read so you have the latest version. This goes for both ePub and Amazon eBooks.

Doesn't work. Not for Amazon or Kobo anyway.

Amazon will still push you the version you originally bought so you'll only get the updated copy if one the publisher/author did the update correctly and you update it (or have auto updates on) and two if they didn't just pull down the old one and republish under a new ASIN.

Kobo doesn't notify anyone there is a new copy and doesn't update existing purchases automatically. You have to know that the book has been updated and then request from CS that they push the newer version to your account and hope they follow through.

Not sure about Google, B&N, OmniLit, eBooks.com, etc.

JSWolf · 03-02-2015, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Doesn't work. Not for Amazon or Kobo anyway.

Amazon will still push you the version you originally bought so you'll only get the updated copy if one the publisher/author did the update correctly and you update it (or have auto updates on) and two if they didn't just pull down the old one and republish under a new ASIN.

Kobo doesn't notify anyone there is a new copy and doesn't update existing purchases automatically. You have to know that the book has been updated and then request from CS that they push the newer version to your account and hope they follow through.

Not sure about Google, B&N, OmniLit, eBooks.com, etc.

When B&N removed the download link from their website, I went and downloaded ALL of the eBooks I could including from Kobo and yes, I did get some (I don't recall how many) updates.

As for Amazon, I do have auto updates on, I think I've only gotten notified twice from Amazon about updates and I've had more eBooks updated than that.

eschwartz · 03-02-2015, 07:18 PM

It is in fact very easy to tell if a book has been updated on Amazon -- just check http://amzn.com/myk and look for books that have a messagebox saying "Update available". Then select to get the update, and you will get the update.

JSWolf · 03-02-2015, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

It is in fact very easy to tell if a book has been updated on Amazon -- just check http://amzn.com/myk and look for books that have a messagebox saying "Update available". Then select to get the update, and you will get the update.

Sorry, I've download eBooks from Amazon that were updated that did not have any message saying they were updated.

JSWolf · 03-02-2015, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

They probably do have to keep track of different versions, if only because they give you the option of automatic or manual updates, so some people may retain the older version.

But how do you know if you want the new version or not?

02-25-2015, 06:49 AM	#1
eFTy Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2014 Device: Kindle	Adobe Adept DRM & updating ebooks I hope this was the right forum to post in. If not, I apologize and would appreciate a shove in the right direction (i.e. link). I've been working on ebooks for a while now, and since we're finally about to start publishing them (woo!) have started hitting my head on various... problems. A major one being that the company supplying the DRM (Boo! Hiss!, I know, but it's required by contract... -_- ) tells me that when I update an ebook, it cannot keep the old bookID. This means that we essentially have to give our customers vouchers for the new versions of the ebook, since we can't trawl through customers' accounts and replace their owned bookIDs. Now, my question to you good folks - from your experience, is that how Adobe's Adept works, or are these guys just incompetent/unwilling to do the job properly?

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02-25-2015, 03:41 PM	#2
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	No idea, I just know for example when you sell through Amazon the Product ID always points to the same book. When it gets updated, you have a link on Manage Your Kindle saying there is an update available, and when you click it, references to downloading the book will I guess yield whatever version their internal records say you have. They probably do have to keep track of different versions, if only because they give you the option of automatic or manual updates, so some people may retain the older version. I imagine this is the type of thing best managed by the seller's website under Customer Accounts (i.e. always yield a .acsm for the latest version, and notify the user via email or otherwise if they should redownload the book). I believe the .acsm is of time-limited value anyway, so the whole process should be transparent to the user. The only way it could be easier is if you could automatically push the book to their devices, but you'd need your own client instead of ADE for that, and then you might find some users unhappy and complaining about Orwellian behavior.

02-26-2015, 09:33 PM	#6
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	The Amazon update thing depends on the author/publisher and what they select when doing the update as I recall.

03-02-2015, 07:59 AM	#8
eFTy Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2014 Device: Kindle	Yeah, Amazon's not really a problem as I know their system works. What I was asking about was Adobe and their ADEPT system... Has anyone any experience with that?

03-02-2015, 10:37 AM	#9
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Yes and I believe the difference is that Adobe only provides a DRM fulfillment service, not a complete product management and sales platform. Managing updates is beyond their purview.

03-02-2015, 07:18 PM	#13
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	It is in fact very easy to tell if a book has been updated on Amazon -- just check http://amzn.com/myk and look for books that have a messagebox saying "Update available". Then select to get the update, and you will get the update.