Tor, a MacMillan imprint going DRM free

[pdurrant]

I found this bit of the release interesting:

In addition, the company expects to begin selling titles through retailers that sell only DRM-free books.

I suspect that this might be code for TOR ebooks becoming available through http://www.baenebooks.com/ (was webscriptions.net)

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

One possible downside for folks could be that Amazon decides to sell the EPub versions at a lower price and draws people from other e-readers to Amazon's store due to lower pricing.

With no Adobe Tax on the ebooks, it wouldn't be too hard for Amazon to do just that. But as long as Tor remains in the price fix domain there won't be any way for Amazon to sell the books at a discount and thus no reason to sell epub.

There's less to this news than meets the eye.

To Alf acolytes, $13 DRM-free is no improvement over $13 DRM-encumbered.
Especially with BAEN still running at $6. And DRM-free.

[ATimson]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Amazon and B&N don't label non-DRM'd books, and I don't think the iBookstore allows them at all.

I think with B&N that the sample DRM matches the full book DRM - either they both have it or neither.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

I read that as "I borrowed paper editions from the library."

I didn't actually think of paper books given that this is a thread on DRM and eBooks.

[stonetools]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

I wonder where they'd sell them that it's clear they're DRM-free. Will they put them through Webscriptions? Amazon and B&N don't label non-DRM'd books, and I don't think the iBookstore allows them at all.

From their website? Also, too, there's something coming called Bookish.com which is rumored to be a publisher effort at direct sales to consumers.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

With no Adobe Tax on the ebooks, it wouldn't be too hard for Amazon to do just that. But as long as Tor remains in the price fix domain there won't be any way for Amazon to sell the books at a discount and thus no reason to sell epub.

There's less to this news than meets the eye.

To Alf acolytes, $13 DRM-free is no improvement over $13 DRM-encumbered.
Especially with BAEN still running at $6. And DRM-free.

But to others, it is a big deal. It means for one that they can shop at B&N even if they don't have a way to deal with B&N's flavor of DRM.

[GreenMonkey]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

With no Adobe Tax on the ebooks, it wouldn't be too hard for Amazon to do just that. But as long as Tor remains in the price fix domain there won't be any way for Amazon to sell the books at a discount and thus no reason to sell epub.

There's less to this news than meets the eye.

To Alf acolytes, $13 DRM-free is no improvement over $13 DRM-encumbered.
Especially with BAEN still running at $6. And DRM-free.

Well, I'm not doing $13 for an ebook anyway (I'll just buy the hardcover). But I'll actually buy DRM-free ebooks, whereas I do my best not to buy DRM'd ebooks from B&N/Amazon/etc.

I'll put Tor on my "OK" list. Maybe they'll start selling on Smashwords, I like buying from them.

[JoeD]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

To Alf acolytes, $13 DRM-free is no improvement over $13 DRM-encumbered.
Especially with BAEN still running at $6. And DRM-free.

$13 would be a no sale to me in the majority of cases whether it has DRM or not (I don't mind freeing a book if needed).

However, I'm still _very_ glad about this news because there are plenty of people for whom $13 is a perfectly fine price to pay and now they won't be locked into the store they decide to purchase from. We on this forum can provide detailed instructions as to how they could download the book from the store they've bought it and convert it to another format to work on an alternative device if they're buying another for whatever reason.

It won't change things for many especially those who already free their books, but it's an important move imo long term for everyone.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But to others, it is a big deal. It means for one that they can shop at B&N even if they don't have a way to deal with B&N's flavor of DRM.

But why bother?
If the price is still the same they might as well stick with Sony or Kobo or whatever Adobe client they already have.

It the epub is DRM free at B&N it will be DRM-free at the generic ADEPT shops and since the price fix isn't going away you get a difference that is no difference.

[ProfCrash]

And that Nook users can shop at Amazon

[carpetmojo]

I've brought this up before, but the only use - as far as Amazon goes at least - for DRM is to "make" more people think they have to buy a kindle to read the books..
Or , as mentioned before, annoy people.
Because as we know, it isn't to prevent piracy, as anyone can get hold of kindle books by installing K4PC, no need to lash out at all - and if you're a committed pirate, you'd do it from a computer anyway......

[gweeks]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

I read that as "I borrowed paper editions from the library."

Yep. Audio books too for some of them. Nothing wrong with paper, I just don't have room to store it anymore for most cases.

Greg Weeks

[Ninjalawyer]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

I've brought this up before, but the only use - as far as Amazon goes at least - for DRM is to "make" more people think they have to buy a kindle to read the books..
Or , as mentioned before, annoy people.
Because as we know, it isn't to prevent piracy, as anyone can get hold of kindle books by installing K4PC, no need to lash out at all - and if you're a committed pirate, you'd do it from a computer anyway......

Indeed, DRM is a great idea for Amazon and Apple, since it locks customers into their ecosystems, but I'm not sure what the publishers think they're getting out of it. Creating your own worst enemy is an old cliche in fiction, a pity the publishers apparently never read any of their own wares.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by ATimson

I know that the people at Tor have been wanting to do this for years (going back to their aborted partnership with Webscriptions). I'm ecstatic to see it finally come to fruition.

I remember years ago reading a lot of TOR books. Just like ACE books. Maybe that was before the internet and Amazon.

[Ninjalawyer]

Originally Posted by stonetools

From their website? Also, too, there's something coming called Bookish.com which is rumored to be a publisher effort at direct sales to consumers.

Wow, the executives at those publishers that plan to direct sell to consumers must not realize how incredibly naive that is:

Originally Posted by stonetools

Frankly, when people say, "Why don't publishers just open an ebook store to compete with Amazon, " they betray a kind of naivete about business.
First of all, division of labor. The skills it takes to be a major publishng house are mostly different from being a major retailer. Secondly, to compete with Amazon, you have to do what Amazon does: and that ain't easy and that ain't cheap .Among other things it involves mucho infastructure: servers, engineers, bandwidth, software, and techncal know how-some of which, like 1-click buying, is patented.