Epub is Not Universal So Stop the BS

[vaughnmr]

If you have an epub file, how can you tell what DRM is infecting it? I mean, how could you determine if it was DRM free, or one of the Apple/B&N/Adobe varieties? Just curious...

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by vaughnmr

If you have an epub file, how can you tell what DRM is infecting it? I mean, how could you determine if it was DRM free, or one of the Apple/B&N/Adobe varieties? Just curious...

I have not checked an Apple ePub, but B&N and Adobe include the encryption.xml file that is part of the ePub standard. As a practical matter, if you try to read an encrypted ePub it will typically not work if you have the "wrong" reader.

[taming]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

As a practical matter, if you try to read an encrypted ePub it will typically not work if you have the "wrong" reader.

With ADE, what I have found is that you need to be sure you are using the same ADE account with all your book buying sources.

[HarryT]

Why would you want to have more than one ADE account? I don't see any benefit at all in doing so.

[Ben Thornton]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's perhaps easy to get a rather distorted view of the world-wide ebook market, living in the USA. Outside the US, Amazon really are a very minor player in the game, and the ePub format completely dominates.

Even before they had a UK shop front, I used Amazon for some content because there was nowhere else, or they were very much cheaper. Now that they are in the UK, I expect them to dominate here too, and I can't see them stopping with UK/USA.

So what you say is true, but I would say that Amazon have been a minor player, but this is likely to change.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by taming

With ADE, what I have found is that you need to be sure you are using the same ADE account with all your book buying sources.

So long as you register your pc & reader/s through ADE, you can shop at any store that supports the ADE encryption with the only exception being B&N whose epub encryption is based on a credit card number, which ADE does not require.

[taming]

I have a Kobo reader--and download/purchase from various places without any problems. That being said: Kobo does not allow two ADE accounts to exist on the same reader. So, if I download with an ADE account sss@lmail.com and I use another account at another store (sss@yoboy.com), only books loaded onto the Kobo with the ADE scheme used last will be available on my reader--content will be locked for the other one.

It's not a problem to always use the same ADE account--but there are some bookstores that try to get you to use an account they set up from you. Sony books does that and it took me a bit to get it all sorted out.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Why would you want to have more than one ADE account? I don't see any benefit at all in doing so.

I don't think anyone thinks there's a benefit to multiple ADE accounts; it's more likely that it's relatively easy to accidentally set up more than one account by setting up different devices at different bookstores.

[taming]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

I don't think anyone thinks there's a benefit to multiple ADE accounts; it's more likely that it's relatively easy to accidentally set up more than one account by setting up different devices at different bookstores.

Yup..what Elfwreck said

[Scott Nielsen]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's perhaps easy to get a rather distorted view of the world-wide ebook market, living in the USA. Outside the US, Amazon really are a very minor player in the game, and the ePub format completely dominates.

That's a fair statement. But what is the size of the Ebook market outside of the U.S. in dollar terms? Does anyone know?

It'd be interesting to see a comparison between the U.S., Europe and Asia. Whenever I'm back in (Western) Europe, Ebooks seems like such a tiny, tiny niche market whereas it feels like it's almost gone mainstream in the States.

[Poppa1956]

As much as I enjoy my Nook and the versatility of ePub format, I realize that Kindle has a sizable marketshare, and will have for quite some time.
It has been demonstrated numerous times in the general world of technology that marketing conquers superior technology (BETA was a better format than VHS for several reasons, many claim the superiority of Mac over PC, and Atari/Amiga over Mac.)
EPub, one of Kindle's formats, or something else entirely may win the day. I don't know which.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by Poppa1956

It has been demonstrated numerous times in the general world of technology that marketing conquers superior technology

And accessibility conquers both.

As formats, .mobi, .epub, and .pdf are all much, much better than .txt... yet .txt is widely used for digital content. Because *anyone* can use it; because it's simple; because it can be used as a base point for other processing.

Nobody's getting rich selling .txt files, but they're also not going away.

And .epub, like .txt, is something end-users can create & edit on their own, unlike .mobi that requires proprietary software, unlike .pdf that's not editable with cheap software once it's made. Epub is going to be the format of choice of self-published ebooks because it's easy to make and versatile in use (there's no mobi reader Greasemonkey plugin for Firefox)--and that will keep it from being squished out of the marketplace by Amazon.

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by Anarel

But if they added epub+drm... wouldn't they have the pay Adobe (or someone) licensing fees? And add credit card unlocking books/authorizing them to a device? What if you don't have the card you purchased books with anymore, or don't remember which? It would add another layer of difficulty to ebooks.

You missed my point, it is the kindle drm and not the actual format that is the current winner, amazon could just as easily switch to epub or some other format in the future if it suits them to do so, it will simply be wrapped in the current kindle drm.

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by AGB

Kindle over here (EU) is non-existant. Epub is the standard and as such it is much better, more open.
Yes, I realise that with DRM on top of it (B&N or otherwise) it's not quite as open as non-drm'd files, but that's the same with MP4s/AAC: It's an open format, no matter if Apple have decided to implement their own flavour of DRM on top of it.

Kindle is still significant in europe and growing all the time, particularly with the various apps boosting its popularity, it is just that it is nowhere near the dominant player like it is in north america.

Also, if the .co.uk local site is merely the first of many launches of new stores that in combination with the low price of the k3 models then they could grow even quicker in the countries where they are weakest providing that they don't fall into the trap of thinking that all the countries are fairly similar except for a different language.

[EowynCarter]

So what you say is true, but I would say that Amazon have been a minor player, but this is likely to change.

Well, not anytime soon, in france at least.
First there is the "no book in french" problem. Secondly, early adopters are using mostly ePub, and will not want to lose their books. So, kindle no go ! Even those who use mobi, bad luck, not the right pid.
That's true even of the UK. They might be coming too late.