Sony Reader Lives on with Rowling!

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

From what I gather, the eBooks will only be sold via Pottermore.

If that's the case, I can live without them. I've managed thus far.

That's my exit, I think. Thanks for the convo, all.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

If that's the case, I can live without them. I've managed thus far.

That's my exit, I think. Thanks for the convo, all.

Not to worry, it will be figured out how to remove the watermarks. Even if they are stored in the graphics, someone will figure it out.

[AnemicOak]

Man folks sure are getting worked up about stuff we don't even know the details of yet. For myself I'm taking a wait and see attitude.

My only personal experience with social/watermark DRM is a few RPG PDF's that have my name in them and I've never seen that as much of a problem.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

My only personal experience with social/watermark DRM is a few RPG PDF's that have my name in them and I've never seen that as much of a problem.

Yes, that's precisely my point. I suspect that the overwhelming majority of people will share your (and my) view.

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Furthermore, you seem to be forgetting that any personal data contained in these books will be streamed over WiFi networks and 3G. Yeah, I'm not going to sign up for that.

Only if you buy the books over wifi or 3G. And even still, with the even the most basic security protocols in place, that still shouldn't be an issue. Plus given that the website will be the place that the books are bought, the likelihood of someone using their reader to buy the books with is pretty low. They'll use their computers, which are most likely behind firewalls, with encryption on the network connection, plus additional encryption to the servers they're buying and downloading the books from. Not to mention the watermark will most likely having the info encrypted (and highly likely, with a one way hash). So, basically, you're fearing that someone will break the encryption on your wifi connection to tap into your network, packet sniff your entire transaction, break the SSL encryption, find and extract the watermark, then use rainbow tables to get the info out of the watermark all while you're buying and downloading the book? The likelihood of that happening is as great as me finding out that I'm a boy wizard, and I'll get to goto Pigfarts on Mars with Malfoy. The only feasible way would be if someone got physical access to your reader, and extracted the files, and then proceeded with the extraction and rainbow tables lookup (which if thats the case, they'd need to figure out the encryption methods used in order to generate the rainbowtables in the first place). End result, you're talking about months of work, and extremely chance timing, to steal a credit card number. There are much quicker, and much easier ways.

Now, granted while as unlikely as that is, the other side of the coin is (and I think what most people worry) is the possibility of a database that has the info of who bought what, since that (as has been shown numerous times in the last few months, on 3 separate occasions with Sony alone) can be hacked with less effort than would be to get the info from one person, and now you have the info on EVERYONE.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Why Pottermore, I wonder? It's such an odd name. Potterverse would make more sense to me. Am I the only one who thinks the name isn't easy to say ten time fast?

More Potter stuff for people to buy.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

I will buy them as long as :
1 ) The ebook is not full of OCR, properly formated all that. I'll be expecting high quality after all these time

Apparently the fan-made ebooks are now error free, so it will be interesting to see if the official ones are up to that standard.

[tubemonkey]

I've never heard of watermarks and take no stance on them one way or another.

[AnemicOak]

Here's an example of the watermarked ebooks I'm familiar with (lower left corner)...
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/popup_...water_help.php

[charleski]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

And a HP database containing the personal information of all HP eBook fans wouldn't be a boon for unethical hackers?

So why should hackers be interested in your watermark if they've compromised the servers? The presence of a watermark is irrelevant. No-one will be able to use it to gain personal information about you without also having access to the servers, and if they have that, then the watermark adds nothing more to what they already have. Your objections are irrational.

I'll buy the books off Kobo when they come available there. I rather suspect they will eventually.

Explain to me how giving your name, address and CC# to Kobo is different.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Not to worry, it will be figured out how to remove the watermarks. Even if they are stored in the graphics, someone will figure it out.

Undoubtedly. But the fact is that most pirates are lazy. All they really need do is put one watermark in an obvious place while squirrelling some others away elsewhere. With time, people will be able to compare multiple copies and figure out whatever scheme they use, but by then they'll have the names of those who rush to be the first to upload the books to file-sharing sites.

Watermarking isn't going to stop the retail ebooks from being pirated, but neither does DRM. What it will do is allow them to take action against some of the people responsible for uploading them in the first place while allowing legitimate customers to enjoy them without the baggage and lock-in that DRM entails.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Here's an example of the watermarked ebooks I'm familiar with (lower left corner)...
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/popup_...water_help.php

If it's just a user name and an order number (and they aren't storing the associated CC#s forever in their store database), then that is fine with me -- it's basically a personalized copy with no personal security risk.

Still, that's a far cry from the claims that it will let them track down who distributed the book -- you'd need verifiable personal data stored for that. Either in the book file itself or in an eternal database. I'll hope that their anti-piracy claims are, well, naively based on the assumption that one's Pottermore username will be one's ACTUAL name.

For instance, I'll bet "Anemic Oak" isn't your real name.

Originally Posted by charleski

Explain to me how giving your name, address and CC# to Kobo is different.

1. Most companies don't store customer CC# information indefinitely because they aren't intending to use it to track you down years and years from now if the copy you bought gets pirated. After an X period of time, your CC# is usually purged from the data banks unless the user has specifically asked them to remember the card.

2. Those that do have to follow strict legal requirements for firewalls and regular checks IF they're a large company in danger of being audited. Smaller companies tend to skate under the radar and frequently don't perform rigorous checks. I doubt that Pottermore is going to have the years of experience necessary to know how to implement all this OPSEC out of the gate.

3. Pottermore is partnered with SONY. They've just had a security breach nightmare with their PSN, so I'm not in the mood to repeat that.

4. You're conflating my points. My concern is that Pottermore will either embed the CC# in the book file, in which case losing my reader would be a problem, yes. My other concern is that they will keep my CC# in a database forever, which presents hacking concerns of a different variety. To my knowledge, Kobo does neither of these things.

But as I say, if it's just the user name being embedded and the CC# isn't kept on hand forever in a database, then I'll buy them under a random user name and that's fine. But that would make their anti-piracy claims pretty silly, so... there's that.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Here's an example of the watermarked ebooks I'm familiar with (lower left corner)...
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/popup_...water_help.php

I don't see the point of that, you could just go through it and remove your name. They would be better off embedding it in the image somewhere through steganography.

[Nahgem]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

More Potter stuff for people to buy.

Yep. The MORE can also stand for something like Multimedia Online Reading Experience.

[ilovejedd]

Here's a thought. If they do release HP-branded ereaders pre-loaded with HP books, they probably wouldn't be embedding CC#'s or other personally identifying information in the ebooks. Then again, they might not pre-load the ebooks. Perhaps they'll just give you a code for downloading the books.

[apastuszak]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

unless sony unleashes a line of cost conscious ebook readers with the HP tie-in

If they come loaded with all the Potter books, expect a premium on the price. Even if she sells the books for $9.99, then you're looking at a $70 premium on a reader on top of whatever the list price would be.