Quote:
Originally Posted by Barty
Why exactly does BN not want other devices to be able to read their books? Don't they need all the book sales they can get?
|
The reality is that virtually any device that's come out in the last year or so can read B&N ebooks without stripping DRM. Except for Sony's.
B&N does not have and exclusive on this DRM, they partnered with Adobe on it with the knowledge that any licensee of RMSDK would be able to make devices capable of reading their ebooks (though they enjoyed a relatively brief period where that amounted to 'lock in'). They did not want to require their customers to install a desktop app just to side-load B&N content on their devices, as other Adobe-powered devices required at the time (which made them less convenient than a Kindle, which has never required any additional software).
The B&N flavor of DRM is more convenient than 'classic' DRM because it does not require 'authorization' with an Adobe ID, or use of ADE. More ebook vendors should be using it. I don't particularly like B&N, but in terms of choosing where to buy DRMed ePub books, they are my first choice when price is the same (as it often is, thanks to Agency pricing). (For various reasons, including laziness, I prefer not to strip DRM.)
I would turn the question around: Why doesn't Sony want to sell their most excellent devices to B&N customers looking for a better device? They might even sell some ebooks of their own.