Did Paperback Digital go out of business?

Nate the great · 01-01-2008, 04:11 PM

Their homepage has been replaced with an out of business sign.We have a report from one forum member that their purchasing system has been disabled for several weeks. The former customers of Paperback Digital would deeply appreciate it if someone would explain what happened. Please feel free to respond to this thread.

Nate the great · 01-01-2008, 04:57 PM

Some points to ponder:

Did anyone lose ebooks they purchased from PbD? Did you get any warning about the impending shutdown and the need to backup your ebooks?

Could this retailer be the Kindle's first victim?

AnemicOak · 01-01-2008, 05:14 PM

So if I understand Mobi format books correctly folks who bought from Paperback Digital are now screwed if they want to use the book on a new device or anything right? Since they can't add PIDs without access to the retailer.

bojan · 01-01-2008, 05:20 PM

What I find really insulting is their 'Thank you for supporting us over the years' statement, with the regard to consequences that their closure will have for their customers.

It really makes you think if it's worth buying all the DRM-ed ebooks, with having no normal consumer rights on them. I think that the Librie model of 6-months duration of books maybe wasn't so bad after all, at least you knew what you were buying - a book that you don't own.

Nate the great · 01-01-2008, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

So if I understand Mobi format books correctly folks who bought from Paperback Digital are now screwed if they want to use the book on a new device or anything right? Since they can't add PIDs without access to the retailer.

Yes. Really sucky, isn't it?

wallcraft · 01-01-2008, 05:31 PM

I am surprised they were unable to transfer their customers (and their existing e-books) to another e-book retailer, and make a bit of money in the process. However, perhaps the process of transferring mobi rights is either impossible or too hard to make it worthwhile. I'm sure any site that took on this task would get a lot of good will, and guaranteed site traffic.

AnemicOak · 01-01-2008, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Yes. Really sucky, isn't it?

Yep, I think even if I had a Mobi device I'd be buying MS Reader stuff & converting from there.

wallcraft · 01-01-2008, 05:38 PM

There is a strong incentive for MobiPocket itself to pick up these orphan e-book sales. If they don't, it is likely that someone will produce software to add PIDs to existing MOBI e-book files and many people will argue that this is "fair use" (legal or not) when a retailer goes out of business. Once it is in the wild, such software would not only be used by Paperback Digital customers.

Liviu_5 · 01-01-2008, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

So if I understand Mobi format books correctly folks who bought from Paperback Digital are now screwed if they want to use the book on a new device or anything right? Since they can't add PIDs without access to the retailer.

I do not understand why the surprise; you buy a drm book that is not convertible to an open format you have to expect you will lose the ability to read it at any point. It may not happen immediately, but it will happen sooner or later.

rlauzon · 01-01-2008, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liviu_5

I do not understand why the surprise; you buy a drm book that is not convertible to an open format you have to expect you will lose the ability to read it at any point. It may not happen immediately, but it will happen sooner or later.

You never "buy" a DRMed eBook. You always license it for a limited period of time.

julia · 01-01-2008, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Some points to ponder:

Did anyone lose ebooks they purchased from PbD? Did you get any warning about the impending shutdown and the need to backup your ebooks?

Could this retailer be the Kindle's first victim?

hi nate,

no didn't get a warning. have asked them several times for the past weeks to let me know whether the purchasing possibility would be available again. no response, tho' i send e-mails to different addresses. didn't hear from them until i logged in today again and got the message that they were closed.

i have purchased many books from them. but have downloaded them and copied them to my computer.

and who knows paperback digital is the first victim...

AnemicOak · 01-01-2008, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liviu_5

I do not understand why the surprise; you buy a drm book that is not convertible to an open format you have to expect you will lose the ability to read it at any point. It may not happen immediately, but it will happen sooner or later.

Didn't say I was surprised. Just checking my understanding of the matter. I own no Mobi books so wanted to make sure I understood correctly. I wasn't sure if they'd somehow still work through some central Mobi server or something.

DaleDe · 01-01-2008, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by julia

hi nate,

no didn't get a warning. have asked them several times for the past weeks to let me know whether the purchasing possibility would be available again. no response, tho' i send e-mails to different addresses. didn't hear from them until i logged in today again and got the message that they were closed.

i have purchased many books from them. but have downloaded them and copied them to my computer.

and who knows paperback digital is the first victim...

It might be worth emailing Mobipocket to see if they will pick up the pieces. It would be in their interests to do so. Worth a shot I think.

Dale

JSWolf · 01-01-2008, 10:45 PM

I hope nobody needs to download any books from there. This is a good reason why DRM is a major issue. You bought books from PaperbackDigital and now you buy a new eink device to read your Mobi format books and you are stuck because the shop is gone and DRM has you but good.

julia · 01-02-2008, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

It might be worth emailing Mobipocket to see if they will pick up the pieces. It would be in their interests to do so. Worth a shot I think.

Dale

i couldn't find an email address on their site. so i put a thread on one of their forum. will see what the reaction will be and let you know.

01-01-2008, 04:11 PM	#1
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	Did Paperback Digital go out of business? Their homepage has been replaced with an out of business sign.We have a report from one forum member that their purchasing system has been disabled for several weeks. The former customers of Paperback Digital would deeply appreciate it if someone would explain what happened. Please feel free to respond to this thread.

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01-01-2008, 04:57 PM	#2
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	Some points to ponder: Did anyone lose ebooks they purchased from PbD? Did you get any warning about the impending shutdown and the need to backup your ebooks? Could this retailer be the Kindle's first victim?

01-01-2008, 05:14 PM	#3
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	So if I understand Mobi format books correctly folks who bought from Paperback Digital are now screwed if they want to use the book on a new device or anything right? Since they can't add PIDs without access to the retailer.

01-01-2008, 05:20 PM	#4
bojan Enthusiast Posts: 48 Karma: 68 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Slovenia Device: iRex iLiad	What I find really insulting is their 'Thank you for supporting us over the years' statement, with the regard to consequences that their closure will have for their customers. It really makes you think if it's worth buying all the DRM-ed ebooks, with having no normal consumer rights on them. I think that the Librie model of 6-months duration of books maybe wasn't so bad after all, at least you knew what you were buying - a book that you don't own.

01-01-2008, 05:31 PM	#6
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,977 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	I am surprised they were unable to transfer their customers (and their existing e-books) to another e-book retailer, and make a bit of money in the process. However, perhaps the process of transferring mobi rights is either impossible or too hard to make it worthwhile. I'm sure any site that took on this task would get a lot of good will, and guaranteed site traffic.

01-01-2008, 05:38 PM	#8
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,977 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	There is a strong incentive for MobiPocket itself to pick up these orphan e-book sales. If they don't, it is likely that someone will produce software to add PIDs to existing MOBI e-book files and many people will argue that this is "fair use" (legal or not) when a retailer goes out of business. Once it is in the wild, such software would not only be used by Paperback Digital customers.

01-01-2008, 10:45 PM	#14
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 80,665 Karma: 150249619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I hope nobody needs to download any books from there. This is a good reason why DRM is a major issue. You bought books from PaperbackDigital and now you buy a new eink device to read your Mobi format books and you are stuck because the shop is gone and DRM has you but good.