Quote:
Originally Posted by Synamon
We get it, you don't like Amazon. But pretending that the epub eReader companies don't lock in users is disingenuous. Removing DRM isn't trivial and is beyond the scope of what most people purchasing books want to mess with. If you are able to strip DRM, then converting formats is not a big deal.
Since an average user is going to be locked in, Amazon's ecosystem is the best choice, especially in the US where you get extra perks like special offers, lending ebooks, and library borrowing. Navigating the various sites selling epubs with different DRM schemes is beyond the average user, they are likely to end up purchasing books they can't even read on their device.
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I think that this is not meant to be as a comment on my opening post?
I never said that I don't like Amazon or that stripping DRM is trivial; I actually do like Amazon (as far as I had to deal with the German and British branches), and stripping DRM certainly is not trivial for most people. I also don't pretend that the EPUB vendor's are *not* trying to lock you into their system. The only thing I am stating is that, after removing any DRM-restrictions, EPUB is (or should be) compatible to more devices than Amazon's format.
I am just trying to be as careful as possible, to try and keep all options open, to be able to move to any ereader in the future, be it Amazon's or someone else's.
With regard to choosing a party if you are going to be in a lock-in anyway, then indeed Amaon is probably one of the better ones to go for.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Maltby
The forces "splintering" epub are those trying to create a captured market, not the
authors or publishers. Aside from those who get themselves trapped into exclusive deals,
the authors and publishers are in a position to offer their product outside of the DRM
walled gardens. And they do now, for the most part. As we all know it is not so hard to
free your purchases from any DRM (except Sony's), so this is not a problem you can lay
on the EPUB format itself.
Luck;
Ken
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Of course it's not a problem of EPUB in itself; it is a problem of companies not wishing to learn. Take an example at GoG.com (a company that sells "Good old Games", but also some new ones). They don't have *any* DRM at all. They just give you the game, after you pay for it, along with the soundtrack in high-quality MP3, concept artwork, downloadable maps and manuals, game guides, and they even patch the stuff for you, up to the latest versions. They even sandbox old DOS games into DOSBox to run on new Windows-versions, configure everything for you, and they add patches to make games run on new Windows-versions that would otherwise not run at all. And what do they do, instead of DRM?
- They set prices very low, starting at $2.99. Many games are lower than $9,99, series are often bundled in an $9.99 package.
- They often have deals to get stuff even cheaper if you buy multiple games at once.
- They provide absolutely *no restrictions*. They even say that you are allowed to install the game on any and all computers that you own. No CD-Checks, no activation, no nothing.
- They provide great customer service.
The only thing they do is say this: "Please don't copy that game for your friends, OK? Just point them to our website. Thank you."
And what is the result? They sell those 5-20 year old games *by the frikkin' millions*! Some time ago, they had a deal that lasted only 24 hours (one free game, and many heavily discounted) after they sold the 6th millionth game. They put up a ticker on the site when they were around 5.8 million or so, and I've seen it shoot up by 1-3 games *per second*.
So, earning a lot of money without DRM, and without trying to lock people into your own system by using DRM or a specific format (or both) is very well possible. Sell something the people want, and sell it at a good price, and they will buy. Annoy them with DRM and "counter piracy measures", and they will start to do precisely the things you didn't want them to do and designed all those "protections" for.
Some indie artists even gave away an album at their website, stating: "Please leave a donation for this album. You can give whatever you wish... or nothing, if you so desire." Those artists stated that they earned much more money in a week then they ever had by going through a publishing company, with all of their "protections, schemes, and rules".
I hope some companies learn from that.