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Originally Posted by sirmaru
Since most eBooks on the planet are sold by Amazon, then Amazon IS THE standard.
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Amazon is the same as Windows in that regard.
Windows is the standard, but only on desktops and notebooks. Basically everything else runs some form of Unix or a Unix-like such as Linux, from the smallest microcontrollers to the biggest supercomputers. Oh, there's some Windows Embedded and Server stuff around, and some Windows High Powered Computing stuff too, but Linux/Unix outside the desktopmarket is just a lot bigger. So what's the standard now? It's not so clear-cut anymore.
Amazon AZW3 is the standard in the English speaking world, but basically everything else in the world uses EPUB, even more so if a country doesn't even have an Amazon store, such as the Netherlands. If I want to buy an book, I can buy it at... oh... 15 Dutch stores, 5-6 non-Dutch stores (of which I know) as EPUB, or as AZW3 at Amazon.com, for a MUCH higher price most of the time. So... why should I see AZW3/Amazon as the standard?
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Maybe Amazon should develop some conversion program to enable all other eBooks to be converted to their standard and then charge a nominal fee for it.
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It already exists. It's called Kindlegen, and it's free.
It only works on non-DRM'd files.
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They could have users of other formats email their eBooks to their Amazon accounts and do an automatic conversion. They already have that facility for MS Word files and do not charge for the conversion.
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It also works for some other types of files besides Word.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...deId=200767340
Microsoft Word (.DOC, .DOCX)
HTML (.HTML, .HTM)
RTF (.RTF)
Text (.TXT)
JPEG (.JPEG, .JPG)
Kindle Format (.MOBI, .AZW)
GIF (.GIF)
PNG (.PNG)
BMP (.BMP)
PDF (.PDF)
Files may be converted better or worse depending on file type.
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There is definitely something wrong with folks stripping copy protection on their own and not paying anything to the copyright holders.
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That's bullshit. I remove copyprotection to be able to convert one book from one format to another, should I wish to reread it on a different e-reader. Buying a book from Amazon and then gaving to rebuy it from Kobo because I now have a different e-reader and I want to reread the book feels like having to rebuy a paper book because I moved from one house to another.
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Amazon could even license other eBook manufacturers like Kobo to use the Amazon eBook format for a fee added to the price of Kobos.
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They did. Mobi was supported by quite a lot of readers a few years back, mainly because they didn't do anything against readers that already supported Mobipocket from before the time Amazon acquired it.
Obviously it didn't bring them any advantages, so they didn't license their newer file types, AFAIK.