Thread: jetBook supports ePUB, MOBI, PRC and RTF formats
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Old 04-06-2009, 02:58 PM   #54
Robertb
Astak Director, Bus. Devl
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Cost of DRM Support
Quote:
Originally Posted by wallcraft View Post
Few companies discuss the details, but that seems to be the case. The only price I have seen is $75K per year for Adobe Digital Editions, see No problem on future Fictionwise DRM. There are no details, and Astak is now saying that ADE will be on their future devices - so perhaps the $75K did not apply to them. It would certainly be possible for someone like FictionWise to make their reader software available to companies for little to no cost in order to get more eReader supporting devices out there. Even then, there would be a cost in porting the SDK to the device.

Netronix and Jinkie seem to be planning to amortize their software costs over a range of devices, from a low cost 5" to a high cost 9.7". That might make the cost of DRM support negligible on a unit basis. However, DRM may be a significant expense if you are entering the market with a low cost device.
Yes, Wallcraft is right, Adobe Digital Editions runs $75,000 a year but for EACH model... not like most would think: $75,000 for all devices you release per year.

The $75,000 DOES apply to our two factories, $75,000 for each factory and each model they release and an additional $75,000 a year for "support" of previously released models. To make this clearer, it is $75,000 for Astak EZ Reader Basic, $75,000 for Astak EZ Reader PRO. $75,000 for Mentor Lite, $75,000 for Mentor Intrique, etc.

Fictionwise eReader, on the other hand, is free for all devices and all models.
AND... it is a great format and they give you plenty of support.

SO... this is the choice for eBook Reader manufacturers... go with Fictionwise and keep DRM costs non-existant or go with Adobe and pay a relative fortune each year. Our NDA precludes saying much more. Also, Adobe will NOT talk to Astak at all... only with the factories. We cannot clarify anything for the factories or get involved at all. To me, this is madness. Astak is trying to help the factories to understand documents that are all in English and we are located 15 miles from Adobe... and we do not have the right to converse??

All of this does not bode well for the end user at all.

Robert B
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