Amazon allows DRM-free ebook, Apple refuses

[Kali Yuga]

Apple is a bunch of control freaks. But they don't make much money from content; the overwhelming majority of their business is hardware sales.



Somewhere north of $14bn out of the $16bn in revenues from the last quarter is just hardware; the entire iTunes store, including apps and music and books, is around $1bn.

Maybe they'll go DRM-free on self-published books if they see an advantage. It's largely irrelevant though, since Apple doesn't care whose ebooks you read, so long as you read it on an iPad or iPhone. In which case, you can just download the Kindle software, download your book and you're all set.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Crowl

Their revenue streams are not the same so why would anyone expect their processes to be identical.

Process? It is the same company so why should the policy be different?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by tompe

This does not mean it is DRM free.

I think you'll find it does. Or perhaps you have a counter-example?

[tompe]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I think you'll find it does. Or perhaps you have a counter-example?

As walllcraft pointed out I seemed to be wrong. But I would never have interpreted it as DRM free just reading what it said. I would have thought it only worked with kindle programs and that is a kind of DRM.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by tompe

Process? It is the same company so why should the policy be different?

Audible (like Mobipocket) is a wholly-owned subsidiary but it is independently managed. Most of Amazon purchased companies are run more or less as they were before purchase. In audible's case Amazon bought them because buying was cheaper than licensing the tech.

[tomsem]

Something doesn't add up here: I've self-published an ebook for sale on iTunes, and you definitely get to choose whether it has DRM or not (and the default is 'no DRM'). I assume Doctorow has access to the same self-publishing mechanism that I used.

So it is simply not true that "Apple has a mandatory DRM requirement for books offered for sale for the iPad," as Doctorow asserts in his Publisher Weekly column/blog. There have to be other factors that pertain in this case, but Doctorow doesn't discuss these. Perhaps he felt such discussion would detract from the points he wanted to make, but as it is, I feel he's being less than transparent in his characterization of Apple's requirements.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Something doesn't add up here: I've self-published an ebook for sale on iTunes, and you definitely get to choose whether it has DRM or not (and the default is 'no DRM'). I assume Doctorow has access to the same self-publishing mechanism that I used.

So it is simply not true that "Apple has a mandatory DRM requirement for books offered for sale for the iPad," as Doctorow asserts in his Publisher Weekly column/blog. There have to be other factors that pertain in this case, but Doctorow doesn't discuss these. Perhaps he felt such discussion would detract from the points he wanted to make, but as it is, I feel he's being less than transparent in his characterization of Apple's requirements.

I wondered about this too, actually. In the iBooks FAQ, Apple distinguishes between DRM and DRM-free content here:

iTunes can show you the kind of book you have by selecting the book and then choosing File > Get Info. If the Kind is marked as Book, this is a book you downloaded from the Internet. If it is listed as Purchased Book, it is a DRM-free book downloaded from the iBookstore. If it is listed as Protected Book, it is a copy-protected book from the iBookstore.

Seems like there is some confusion over the issue right now. iBooks still seems in flux to me, at any rate.

[PKFFW]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Something doesn't add up here: I've self-published an ebook for sale on iTunes, and you definitely get to choose whether it has DRM or not (and the default is 'no DRM'). I assume Doctorow has access to the same self-publishing mechanism that I used.

So it is simply not true that "Apple has a mandatory DRM requirement for books offered for sale for the iPad," as Doctorow asserts in his Publisher Weekly column/blog. There have to be other factors that pertain in this case, but Doctorow doesn't discuss these. Perhaps he felt such discussion would detract from the points he wanted to make, but as it is, I feel he's being less than transparent in his characterization of Apple's requirements.

Why let the facts get in the way of a good rant though right?

[Barcey]

He indicated in the article that he also wanted the following text added. I'd have to assume that's what they were objecting to if they are OK with no DRM.

"If the seller of this electronic version has imposed contractual or technical restrictions on it such that you have difficulty reformatting or converting this book for use on another device or in another program, please visit http://craphound.com for alternate, open format versions, authorized by the copyright holder for this work, Cory Doctorow. While Cory Doctorow cannot release you from any contractual or other legal obligations to anyone else that you may have agreed to when purchasing this version, you have his blessing to do anything that is consistent with applicable copyright laws in your jurisdiction."

[igorsk]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Something doesn't add up here: I've self-published an ebook for sale on iTunes, and you definitely get to choose whether it has DRM or not (and the default is 'no DRM'). I assume Doctorow has access to the same self-publishing mechanism that I used.

He can't self-publish if his contract with Tor doesn't allow that explicitly. I guess free ebook distribution was negotiated separately, I doubt the contract gives him an option to sell the books on his own.

[vaughnmr]

So I have to ask the question, since I'm currently not allowed into the walled garden and can't form my own opinion. Are you allowed, as an author, to add your ebook to the iBook store without drm? Everyone seems to be skirting around the issue, and I've even tried to follow the support links provided to find out for myself, but they only implied that it is possible to "buy" a drm free book. Any authors brave enough to enlighten me (and possibly others?). One author seems to imply otherwise.

There seems to be a lot of "misinformation" on the internet relating to specific platforms, formats, and publishing methods. I'd like to be informed as a consumer.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by vaughnmr

So I have to ask the question, since I'm currently not allowed into the walled garden and can't form my own opinion. Are you allowed, as an author, to add your ebook to the iBook store without drm? Everyone seems to be skirting around the issue, and I've even tried to follow the support links provided to find out for myself, but they only implied that it is possible to "buy" a drm free book. Any authors brave enough to enlighten me (and possibly others?). One author seems to imply otherwise.

There seems to be a lot of "misinformation" on the internet relating to specific platforms, formats, and publishing methods. I'd like to be informed as a consumer.

Yes, you can definitely publish DRM free books in iBookstore, assuming you hold the publishing rights.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Yes, you can definitely publish DRM free books in iBookstore, assuming you hold the publishing rights.

So how do you know that? Has anybody here actually done it?

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by tompe

So how do you know that? Has anybody here actually done it?

See post #21

[vaughnmr]

Thanks guys for the reply. Although I'm still a little confused, the post in #21 refered to iTunes, not iBooks. Are they the same? And he didn't mention "when" he published the ebook, was this pre iBooks store or after. Where would one find definitive information about the Apple iBookstore publishing and DRM. Am I using the right terms? This is like trying to find information about USSR (hint, I just got through reading "Gorky Park").