I think I have a handle on the various Ebook stores and the way each of their DRM works, but I wanted to write a quick summary to make sure that I am not missing anything important before I start actually spending money and purchasing a lot of content. I have both a Kindle3 Wi-fi from last October and a Nook Wi-fi that I recently purchased. I would really appreciate being corrected if I am misunderstanding something about the various stores.
I've used the following, but so far only for free books:
Amazon.com- The books from their store are essentially mobi format with a proprietary DRM. Books purchased from them will only work on the Kindle and the various devices that now have software "Kindle Apps."
EDIT: starrigger notes that "[A]uthors direct-publishing to Amazon and B&N have the option to make their books DRM-free, and many do." ATDrake adds, "[T]he way to tell if an Amazon book is DRM-free is to look for "Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited" in the Product Details on the book's description page. If it has a number listed or omits that field entirely, then it's DRM."
Barnes & Noble- The books from their store are epub with their own proprietary DRM using your credit card number. Books purchased from them will only work on the Nook and the various devices that now have software "Nook Apps."
EDIT: ATDrake's post below adds that the JetBook Lite, the Pandigital Novel, and possibly a 3rd party iDevice App (Bluefire) can also currently read books with B & N's DRM. Additionally, he reports that the ability to read epub with B & N DRM may be incorporated into future updates of Adobe Digital Editions potentially enabling many more devices to read the format. ATDrake also adds that Mac users are "able to download our purchases in either the older original .pdb or newer standard ePub format, depending on whether we do it directly from our My NOOK Library account page at the website, or via the NookStudy app."
starrigger also notes that "[A]uthors direct-publishing to Amazon and B&N have the option to make their books DRM-free, and many do." Unfortunately, ATDrake reports that there is no indication on B & N which books are DRM-free.
Sony Reader store- The books from this store are epub with Adobe DRM. You must use downloaded Sony Reader software to purchase the books, but once on your PC you can transfer them to any ereader that supports Adobe DRM. (including the Nook, the Sony eReaders, Kobo and a bunch of others)
Overdrive- Not so much a store, but the company/service that many libraries use to lend ebooks. Uses epub or pdf with Adobe DRM. You can then use Adobe Digital Editions to transfer the ebook to any ereader that supports Adobe DRM. (including the Nook, the Sony eReaders, Kobo and a bunch of others) EDIT: Per Poppaea's response below you can also use the Sony Reader Library software instead of Adobe Digital Editions to download and authorize overdrive library materials. Also, per abookreader's response below some libraries also provide some material in the mobi format via Overdrive using your PID to authorize your device.
Netlibrary- Another library service somewhat like Overdrive, it works pretty much the same way.
I have not used the following but BELIEVE that they work as described. PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong.
Google Books- sells epub with Adobe DRM. You can then use Adobe Digital Editions to transfer the ebook to any ereader that supports Adobe DRM. (including the Nook, the Sony Readers, Kobo and a bunch of others) Additionally google has apps for idevices and android devices to read books bought in their store.
Kobo- sells epub with Adobe DRM. You can then use Adobe Digital Editions to transfer the ebook to any ereader that supports Adobe DRM. (including the Nook, the Sony Readers, Kobo and a bunch of others) Additionally Kobo appears to have apps to read their books on idevices, android devices, Blackberry devices, and Palm devices. EDIT: Per CWatkinsNash post below books purchased through the Kobo apps instead of from the Kobo website are stored in a database in the app instead of as epub files. So in order to transfer them to other Adobe DRM compatible devices you must redownload them from the Kobo website as Epubs first.
Smashwords- sells ebooks in multiple DRM free formats including mobi, epub, pdf, and html.
Webscription.net (Baen)- My understanding is that they sell both standalone books and monthly compilations of partial books of science fiction material in multiple formats including both mobi & epub. As far as I can tell from the description it is DRM free. EDIT: Worldwalker confirms in his post below that the purchased books are DRM free and available in pretty much any format you could want. He also pointed out that according to the Webscription FAQ- "Purchase of an individual month will deliver that months complete books whether other months are purchased or not."
Webscription.net also hosts the
Baen free library with a number of books in multiple formats and DRM-free.
Apple ibooks- as far as I can tell this store sells ebooks in the epub format with a proprietary DRM that only works on iDevices.
EDIT:from the helpful posts below I've added the following stores:
Fictionwise offers most of its selections in the .pdb with eReader DRM format. eReader software to read this format looks to be available at ereader.com for many phones, Android, iDevices, Palm, and PCs/Macs/Linux. Per ATDrake's post below it also works on the Nook (classic only). Additionally, Fictionwise sells some of its selections without DRM. These selections are marked as "Multiformat" in the store with a multitude of available formats available including epub, mobi, pdf, html, and many others.
whsmith- sells epub with Adobe DRM. You can then use Adobe Digital Editions to transfer the ebook to any ereader that supports Adobe DRM. (including the Nook, the Sony Readers, Kobo and a bunch of others)
waterstones sells epub with Adobe DRM. You can then use Adobe Digital Editions to transfer the ebook to any ereader that supports Adobe DRM. (including the Nook, the Sony Readers, Kobo and a bunch of others)
eharlequin.com sells epub with Adobe DRM. You can then use Adobe Digital Editions to transfer the ebook to any ereader that supports Adobe DRM. (including the Nook, the Sony Readers, Kobo and a bunch of others)
millsandboon.co.uk sells epub with Adobe DRM. You can then use Adobe Digital Editions to transfer the ebook to any ereader that supports Adobe DRM. (including the Nook, the Sony Readers, Kobo and a bunch of others)
Lazy Day Books sells epub with Adobe DRM. You can then use Adobe Digital Editions to transfer the ebook to any ereader that supports Adobe DRM. (including the Nook, the Sony Readers, Kobo and a bunch of others)
In her post below Hatgirl also provides a list of smaller e-stores that sell their books in various DRM-free formats including:
Book View Cafe
Wizard's Tower
Carina Press
Samhain Publishing
neilmarr adds that additional sources of DRM-free books can be tracked down in the new 'Open Books' section of the Calibre site (
www.calibre-ebook.com). The site includes a list of publishers who resist DRM, their titles, and websites where their work is downloadable DRM-free.
For those of you with more details or anything important that I may have missed or simply may be flat wrong about, please correct me (be gentle, I'm new). For those whom have not looked in depth into the various stores and formats yet, hopefully this helps a bit.
EDIT: Thanks to everyone who has supplied additional information and pointed out inaccuracies so far. I will continue to update this post as further information is provided, but will likely not be available to update over the weekend.