[MaggieScratch]

B&N has a line of public domain "classics" to which they have added original material, such as explanatory notes and forewards by academics, that they publish in trade and mass market paperback editions. They are certainly entitled to copyright such works, and it's not out of the realm of reality to have DRM placed upon them if they change them into ebooks. I purchased one of their mmp Jane Austen titles and the forward and notes were very good. Such books would be useful to students who would like a less expensive edition of the books they have to read with good supplemental material.

I just wonder if one can read ebooks from some of the free providers using the B&N software? Then I think some criticism is valid. Consumers who are unsophisticated about ebooks and who try ebooks for the first time because they consider B&N a trusted name might not realize they can get perfectly nice "reading copies" of these books for free elsewhere. Some Kindle readers are the same way--they are only comfortable within the walls of their electronic garden and don't like to venture out to see the sometimes better stuff they can get "outside" for free. There's nothing wrong with that, though I think it's a shame.